Abstract

EVALUATION OF ACUTE AND SUB ACUTE TOXICITY OF STEM BARK AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF ANTHOCLEISTA SCHWEINFURTHII (LOGANIACEAE)

Christophe Mezui*, Frida Longo, Celine Nkenfou, Zacharie Sando, Emilie Ndeme, Paul Vernyuy Tan

ABSTRACT

Anthocleista schweinfurthii is a plant of the Loganiacea family. Many studies performed on it, related that the plant presents a wide variety of therapeutic effects, specially, cytoprotective effects on gastric mucosa, milky stimulator and anti-malarial virtues. This study aimed to evaluate the toxic profile of the aqueous extract obtained from the bark of this plant. Acute toxicity using a single dose of 2000 mg/kg was administered to mice and effects were observed for 14 days. The sub-acute toxicity of the aqueous extract at doses 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg, was also studied on male and female rats for 28 days. The control group, constituted of healthy rats, received the same amount of distilled water. At the end of the treatment, physical, haematological, biochemical and histological parameters were evaluated. The results obtained show no death and no significant variation (p>0, 05) in the behavioral and morphological parameters. Similarly, the sub acute test shows no significant variation, at all doses, in the evaluated parameters. In conclusion, the aqueous extract of the A. schweinfurthii can be classified in the category of non-toxic substances since its 50 % lethal dose (LD 50) is superior to 2000 mg/kg.

Keywords: toxicity, Anthocleista schweinfurthii, aqueous extract, Loganiaceae.