ACUTE AND SUB-ACUTE TOXICITY STUDIES OF ETHANOLIC STEM AND ROOT EXTRACTS OF ARISTOLOCHIA RINGENS AND SECURIDACA LONGEPEDUNCULATA IN WISTAR RATS

The aim of this study was to examine the acute and sub-acute toxicity of the ethanolic extract of the stem and root of Aristolochia ringens and Securidaca longepedunculata, respectively, in Wistar rats. The animals were divided into 5 per group and oral administration of extract at doses of 100, 250, 500 mg/kg were given daily for 28 days. Control group was given distilled water and animals were weighed at 7 day intervals. Animals were kept under close observation for 24 h and 28 days for acute and sub acute toxicity study, respectively. Body and relative organ weight, biochemical and haemotological analysis and phytochemical screening were carried out. The extract did not exhibit significant change in the percentage body weight when compared to the control group. The stem extract of A. rigens did not show any significant difference in the weight of the organs, weight while the root extract of S. longepedunculata exhibited a significant dose-dependent decrease in the weight of the liver and heart in all the treated groups (p<0.05). Extract showed significant increase in red blood cell (RBC), haemoglobin (HGB) and haemotocrit (HCT) levels in A. ringens, while it decreased in S. longepedunculata extract in the study. There was no significant alteration in the haematological parameters (WBC, MCHC, MCV and MCH) of the treated rats when compared to the control rats. All blood serum biochemical parameters were not significantly (p<0.05) different as compared with the control group, except for a significant (p<0.05) non-dose-dependent increase of TP, HDL-c and LDL-c of A. ringens extract. The result indicate non toxicity of ethanolic stem and root extracts of A. ringens and S. longepedunculata, respectively, were found to be safe when orally administered.