Preliminary investigation into the acute and chronic ingestion of aqueous leaf extract of Swietenia mahagoni (Maliaceae) in rats
- نوع فایل : کتاب
- زبان : انگلیسی
- مؤلف : S. C. Udem & R. I. Obidike & O. S. B. Onyejekwe
- چاپ و سال / کشور: 2011
Description
Medicinal plants form the background of medicine in most developing countries around the world. However, despite the increasing popularity of herbal treatments, the safety and effectiveness of alternative medicines remain largely unknown. Some are blighted with problems of multiple organ toxicity. In this study, the effects of ingestion of aqueous leaf extract of Swietenia mahagoni on biochemical and hematological parameters was investigated in rats. The acute toxicity test did not produce any death even with the highest dose of 1,000 mg/kg of the extract. The animals were given (p.o.) two doses (250 and 500 mg/kg) of the test extract for 12 weeks. At the end of this period, blood was collected for biochemical and hematological analysis. The serum activities of the following enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphate and other biochemical markers of organ damage such as total bilirubin and creatinine were investigated. The effects of the extract on packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin concentration (HBC), red and white blood cell counts (RBC and WBC) were also determined. There was significant (p<0.05) increase in the activity of ALP in the two groups treated with the extract in comparison with the control group that received only water. The rest of the biochemical parameters and the hematology did not show any significant difference. This may imply that the aqueous extract of S. mahagoni has no serious adverse effects on the hematological parameters and some major organs of the body.
Comp Clin Pathol DOI 10.1007/s00580-011-1181-z Received: 21 May 2010 / Accepted: 8 February 2011
