Acute and Subacute Toxicity of Aspilia Africana Leaves

This study was designed to evaluate the toxicity of the aqueous extract of Aspilia africana leaves. Oral doses of 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg were administered for 28 days to rats after every 2 days for sub-acute toxicity. For acute toxicity, 5 doses of 2, 4, 8, 12 and 16g/Kg body weight were investigated in mice. The control groups consisted of mice or rats administered with distilled water. The signs of toxicity fluctuated lightly from one mammal to another throughout the experiment. The liver, kidneys and heart weight of rats revealed no significant differences between the test groups and the control. The results indicated that the medium lethal dose (LD50) was found to be greater in females than males with an average of 6.6g/Kg body weight for both sexes. Regardless of the significant differences observed at certain points in some biochemical parameters (ALT, AST, ALP, Creatinine and Glutathione); none showed any linear dose responsiveness. On the other hand, most of the parameters investigated were found to be gender dependent. These results suggested that A Africana can be classified among substances with low toxicity

Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of <it>Bersama engleriana</it> leaves in nicotinamide/streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The present investigation was aimed at evaluating the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic properties of the aqueous and methanolic extracts from <it>Bersama engleriana</it> leaves in streptozotocin/nicotinamide (STZ-NA)-induced type 2 diabetic rats.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Animals were orally treated for 4 consecutive weeks with <it>Bersama engleriana</it> extracts at doses of 300 or 600 mg/kg. The anti-diabetic effect was examined by measuring blood glucose (BG) at 0, 1, 14 and 28 days after STZ-NA treatment and, total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) levels at sacrifice (day 29). Glibenclamide (0.25 mg/kg) was used for comparison.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>STZ-NA-induced diabetic rats showed moderate to significant increases in the levels of BG, TG, TC, LDL-C while body weight, HDL-C levels and relative weights of liver and pancreas were decreased compared to controls (non diabetic rats). Administration of the plant extracts to STZ-NA diabetic rats resulted in a significant decrease in BG, TG, TC and LDL-C and the dose 600 mg/kg of the methanolic extract was the most effective; HDL-C level was markedly increased after four weeks compared to untreated diabetic rats. A dose-dependent increase in the relative weights of the diabetogenic organs was observed in the <it>Bersama engleriana</it> groups. It can be also noticed that the methanolic extract, especially the dose 600 mg/kg (p<0.001), produced more effects than glibenclamide and aqueous extract. Rats treated with glibenclamide (0.25 mg/kg) generally gave lower results compared to groups treated with plant extracts.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Results of the present study showed that <it>Bersama engleriana</it> extracts and especially its methanolic extract possess antidiabetogenic properties and beneficial effects on diabetic hyperlipidemia. All these effects could be due to the bioactive components revealed in the <it>Bersama engleriana</it> extracts such as triterpenes and phenols and which could justify its ethnomedical use.</p