Effects of oral administration of aqueous stem extract of Jatropha gossypiifolia on weight-gain and some haematological parameters in rats

Abstract

The aqueous stem extract of Jatropha gossypiifolia var. gossypiifolia was obtained and reconstituted daily and orally administered to animal according to weights. In acute toxicity study, a single oral dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight was administered and toxic signs and behaviour were observed and the weight, monitored for 14 days. In repeated dose, test extract was administered daily for 28 days at various doses of 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, 750 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg respectively. The packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell count (RBC), differential leucocyte counts. total white blood cell count (WBC), Haemoglobin concentration (Hb), and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) plasma proteins, plasma bilirubin, albumin, liver enzymes such as aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), plasma electrocytes (Na , K , Cl and urea) of the rats were determined on days 14 and 28. While the weight of the rats + + -
were simultaneously monitored in both set of the experiments. There were no significant changes in the PCV, RBC, Hb and MCHC, while significant increase (p<0.05) was observed in total WBC. Similarly, there were no significant change in values of serum urea, Na , Cl and K . The values of total protein, albumin, bilirubin were not altered, liver enzymes such as AST, ALT + - + are not significantly(p<0.05) altered, but ALP significantly increased (p<0.05). Rats in all the groups of the two experiments
showed remarkable increase in weights throughout the study period. It is concluded that extract of Jatropha gossypiifolia var gossypiifolia does not have toxic effect on blood parameters and stimulate weight increases in rats and therefore can be medicinally useful on further investigation.