TOXICOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE METHANOL LEAF EXTRACT OF SECURINEGA VIROSA(ROXB EX. WILLD) IN WISTAR RATS

TOXICOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE METHANOL LEAF EXTRACT OF SECURINEGA VIROSA(ROXB EX. WILLD) IN WISTAR RATS

ABSTRACT

Securinega virosa is one of the African medicinal plants described as a true “cure all” among traditional practitioners. Different parts of Securinega virosa have been used in the management of different disorders in Nigeria and other parts of the world. There is therefore the need to establish the toxicity profile of Securinega virosa leaves. In this study, toxicological assessment of the methanol leaf extract of Securinega virosa was carried out in Wistar rats. Forty rats of either sex (20 males and 20 females) were divided into four groups of 10 rats (5 males and 5 females) each and kept in separate cages. The rats were administered with 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight of the extract daily for 28 days. The effect of the extract on body weight, haematolological and biochemical (renal function, liver function and lipid profile) parameters as well as histopathological studies of the organs (liver, kidney, spleen, lungs, brain, heart, stomach, uterus, ovaries and testes) was assessed. The oral and the intraperitoneal median lethal dose (LD50) values of the extract were estimated to be greater than 5000 mg/kg bodyweight and within the doses of the study, no mortality was observed in both acute and sub-acute toxicity studies. The extract had no significant (p˃0.05) effect on body weight. The haematological parameters measured were normal except a significant (p˃0.05) increase in platelets count observed at the dose of 1000 mg/kg body weight. There was a significant (p˃0.05) increase in liver biomarkers, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase in both male and female rats treated at doses of 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight when compared with the control. There was also a significant (p˃0.05) increase in the serum urea and creatinine in these groups. Histopathological findings indicated that there were some levels of liver damage vi characterised by centrilobular necrosis peri-portal hepatocytic vacuolation and scattered inflammatory changes, kidney (glomerular damage and atrophy, tubular epithelial cell necrosis and vascular congestion), and brain (degeneration of nerve fibres, pyknosis and vacuolation) at doses of 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight. Some levels of damage was also observed in the spleen (splenic congestion) and lungs (diffused areas of congestion and inflammation) of both male and female rats across all the doses administered. These findings suggest that the methanol leaf extract of Securinega virosa is practically non toxic following acute administration, however, it produced some levels of damage to the liver, kidney, heart, spleen, lungs and brain in Wistar rats following oral administration for 28 days

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