Study of Antiparasitic and Cytotoxicity of the Aqueous, the 80% Methanol Extract and Its Fractions, and the Acute Toxicity of the Aqueous Extract of <i>Brucea sumatrana</i> (Simaroubaceae) Leaves Collected in Mai-Ndombe, Democratic Republic of Congo

Results from the in vitro evaluation of the antiparasitaire activity of the aqueous extract, the 80% methanol extract and its fractions from the leaves of Brucea sumatrana against Trypanosoma brucei brucei, T. cruzi, Leishmania infantum, the multidrug-resistant K1 and chloroquine-sensitive NF54 strains of Plasmodium falciparum indicated that all samples from the leaves extract presented interesting antiparasitaire activity at different extents. The 80% methanol extract, its chloroform acid, petroleum ether and 80% methanol soluble fractions and the aqueous extract exhibited strong activity against Trypanosoma b. brucei, T. cruzi, L. infantum and the multidrug-resistant K1 strain of P. falciparum with IC50 values from P. falciparum with IC50 values ranging from 50) 50 was estimated to be greater than 5 g/kg. In addition, it did not significantly modify the concentration levels of some evaluated biochemical and hematological parameters in treated rats. These results constitute a scientific validation supporting and justifying the traditional use of the leaves of B. sumatrana for the treatment of malaria, sleeping sickness and at some extent Chagas disease.