PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF ASTAXANTHIN ON LIPOPEROXIDATIVE CHANGES IN RATS INFECTED WITH TRYPANOSOMA BRUCEI BRUCEI

Résumé

The study was carried out to determine the effect of astaxanthin on lipoperoxidative changes in rats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Twenty male Wistar rats weighing between 110 – 170 kg were randomly divided into four groups (I-IV) of five animals each. Group I rats (negative control) were treated per os with distilled water (1 mL/kg) only. Groups II, III and IV were inoculated with10 trypanosomes/mL, intaperitoneally. Group II rats were left untreated to serve as the positive control while rats in groups III and IV were treated with astaxanthin at 25 mg/kg body weight, per os. Group III rats were first pretreated with astaxanthin at 25 mg/kg body weight, per os before inoculation with Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Treatment with astaxanthin continued to the end of the experiment. The level of parasitaemia, erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF) and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration were evaluated. Astaxanthin administration caused relative decrease on the level of parasitaemia, EOF and MDA concentration compared to the control. This study has shown that astaxanthin possesses lipoperoxidative potentials evident by the relative decrease in EOF and MDA observed in the treated groups.