Abstract

INVESTIGATION OF BOILED AQUEOUS ROOT EXTRACT OF INDIGOFERA TINCTORIA AS AN ANTIDOTE TO CLEISTANTHUS COLLINUS LEAVES POISONING

M. Paramasivam* and Dr. S. Purushothaman

ABSTRACT

Plant poisoning is a major clinical problem in the developing countries. Almost some deaths result from suicide or homicide. Treatment for most plant poisonings is symptomatic and only few specific antidotes are available. The antidote effect of boiled aqueous extract of root Indigofera tinctoria which is popularly known as Avuri in Tamil was studied using against Cleistanthus collinus leaves poisoning. Water extract of Cleistanthus collinus leaves is a common suicidal poison in rural south India. Victims consume either a boiled decoction fresh leaves boiled (FL-B) or fresh leaves blended (FL-G) and filtered. Mortality is about 28% and is stated to be higher with boiled decoction. The boiled decoction of root of Indigofera tinctoria was prepared as antidote against minimal lethal dose of Cleisthanthus collinus was estimated. The boiled AEIT root was administered to the rats poisoned with boiled extract of Cleisthanthus collinus leaves orally. Minimum lethal dose MLD (100) of FL-B, FL-G, in rats was determined. There is not much difference in MLD (100) for FL-B (75mg/100gm) and FL-G (50mg/100gm) in rats. Boiled AEIT root at the doses of 50 and 100mg/100gm p.o significantly reduced the mortality rate in Cleistanthus collinus leaves(FL-B 75mg/100gm p.o) poisoned rats which was analysed using serum sodium, potassium, creatinine, total bile, ALP, ALT, BUN and Leucocyte level in blood and sodium, potassium level in urine before and after the administration of Cleistanthus. In histopathological studies, it reveals that Cleistanthus poisoned rats shows liver and kidney damage and groups treated with boiled AEIT root doesn’t shows any damage in the liver and kidney.The aqueous extract at a dose 100mg/100gm body weight showed better result than 50mg/100gm body weight in rats. It concludes that boiled aqueous root extract of Indigofera tinctoria acts as an antidote in Cleistanthus collinus leaves poisoning.

Keywords: Cleistanthus collinus poisoning, Oduvanthalai, fresh leaf ground (FL-G), Fresh leaf boiled (FL-B), Aqueous extract of Indigofera tinctora root (AEIT), Antidote.