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Published:
Sep 12, 2024DOI:
10.4314/tjpr.v23i6.6Keywords:
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Main Article Content
Oral acute toxicity of pericarp extract from Lepisanthes rubiginosa (Roxh) Leenh in rats
Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the acute toxicity of Lepisanthes rubiginosa (Roxh.) Leenh. (Sapindaceae) pericarp extract in rats.
Methods: A total of 25 male and female rats were orally administered the extract at different doses (5, 50, 300 and 2,000 mg/kg) while control rats received distilled water. The body weights were recorded weekly for 2 weeks. After administration, the relative organ weights were calculated and the hematological values and biochemical examination including lipid profiles, and liver and kidney function parameters were measured from fasting blood samples collected by cardiac puncture. Liver and kidney tissue of rats were collected by abdomen dissection after 2 weeks of the experiment for histological study.
Results: At all doses tested, the extract neither caused death in rats nor were there signs of toxicity within 24 h in the first instance and after 14 days. There was significant increase in the mean weekly weights of rats (p < 0.05) but did not affect relative organ weight. The morphology of blood cells showed no abnormalities suggesting that the extract had no acute toxic effect on the circulatory system of the rats that received the extract even at the highest dose of 2,000 mg/kg. The rats did not experience changes in the histological characteristics of the liver. It is thus been proposed that the extract has no liver toxicity. There was no significant change in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (p < 0.05) and no changes in the histological features of the kidneys were observed.
Conclusion: The extract is safe at all tested doses and is devoid of hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity and abnormalities in the circulatory system.
