In Vitro and In Vivo Activity of Anogeissus leiocarpa Bark Extract and Isolated Metabolites against Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii , belonging to the Apicomplexa phylum, is a cosmopolitan protozoan parasite that affects at least 30% of the world's population. In West Africa, the leaves and bark of the tree species Anogeissus leiocarpa (DC.) Guill. & Perr. are used against zoonosis in traditional medicine and play a key role in controlling diseases induced by Apicomplexans such as malaria. In this study, extracts, fractions, and pure compounds obtained from an ethanol extract of the bark of A. leiocarpa were evaluated agains T. gondii infection in vitro and in vivo . The crude bark extract showed significant activity on tachyzoites from the T. gondii RH strain (IC 50  = 59.30 µg/mL). The crude bark extract without tannins and pure trachelosperogenin E purified by centrifugal partition chromatography showed the highest activity (IC 50 s = 12.83 and 26.63 µg/mL, respectively) with satisfying selectivity indexes of 9.61 and 9.75, respectively. The crude bark extract without tannins and pure trachelosperogenin E were able to significantly inhibit host cell invasion by the parasite in vitro , while the crude bark extract without tannins was able to increase mice survival in our murine model of chronic toxoplasmosis. These results provide new biological data for natural compounds that could enhance the current panoply of treatments against toxoplasmosis.