Therapeutic efficacy of β-sitosterol treatment on Trypanosoma congolense infection, anemia development, and trans-sialidase (TconTS1) gene expression

Background: African animal trypanosomiasis hinders sustainable livestock productivity in sub-Saharan Africa. About 17 million infected cattle are treated with trypanocides annually but most of the drugs are associated with drawbacks, necessitating the search for a promising chemotherapeutic agent.Objectives: In this study, the effects of beta-sitosterol on Trypanosoma congolense infection were investigated along with its effect on the trans-sialidase gene expressions.Results: Oral treatment with beta-sitosterol at 15 and 30 mg/kg body weight (BW) for 14 days significantly (p < 0.05) reduced parasitemia and ameliorated the parasite-induced anemia. Also, the parasite-induced increase in serum urea level and renal histopathological damage scores in addition to renal hypertrophy was significantly (p < 0.05) reverted following treatment with 30 mg/kg BW beta-sitosterol. The compound also significantly (p < 0.05) down-regulated the expression of TconTS1 but not TconTS2, TconTS3, and TconTS4. Correlation analysis between free serum sialic acid with the TconTS1 and TconTS2 gene variants revealed negative correlations in the beta-sitosterol-treated groups although they were non-significant (p > 0.05) in the group treated with 15 mg/kg BW beta-sitosterol. Similarly, a non-significant negative (p > 0.05) correlation between the biomolecule and the TconTS3 and TconTS4 gene variants was observed in the beta-sitosterol-treated groups while positive correlations were observed in the infected untreated control group.Conclusion: The observed effect of beta-sitosterol on T. congolense infection could make the compound a possible template for the design of novel trypanocides.