HEPATOTOXICITY OF THE ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF Enantia chlorantha ROOT ON WISTAR ALBINO RATS

HEPATOTOXICITY OF THE ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF Enantia chlorantha ROOT ON WISTAR ALBINO RATS

ABSTRACT

Various diseases and injuries are always presented with pain, fever and inflammation. These are considered as symptoms associated with various pathological processes in an animal body. Drugs that are used to alleviate pain, fever and inflammation such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs exhibit adverse effects for example cardiac abnormalities, peptic ulcers, liver toxicity and kidney failure. Therefore, there is need to come up with alternative remedies. Herbal medicines are deemed to be safe, have good efficacy and have fewer side effects. Enantia Chlorantha is a shrub that is found in found along the West and Central African shores in large numbers and it has been used traditionally to cure several ailments. Roots of this medicinal plant have been used traditionally to prepare decoctions. The aim of the project was to evaluate the hepatotoxicity of the ethanolic extracts of Enantia chlorantha root on wistar albino rats. The root of Enantia chlorontha was assayed for its hepatotoxicity effect. Extacts from the root were made using 95% ethanol.

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Plant products have always been and will continue to be an important part of health care. According to current estimates, traditional medicine is still used by 80% of the world’s population (Farnsworth et al., 1985). cultures have a history of one folk medicine or the other.  In ancient cultures, people methodically and systematically collected information on herbs and developed well-defined herbal pharmacopoeias. Much of the pharmacopoeia of scientific medicine was derived from the herbal lore of native peoples. Modern pharmacopoeias contain at least 25% of drugs derived from plants and many others, are synthetic analogues, built on prototype compounds isolated from plants (Farnsworth et al., 1985).

Potent pharmacological substances are discovered scientifically through pharmacological screening of herbal products (Sandberg et al., 1971; Verpoorte and Bohlin, 1976). Such search is normaly preceeded by ethnobotanical survey of the medicinal plants used in communities. Identification of such plants is crucial to their use in development and western medicine. Documentation of the habitat of such plants is also necessary because of the difference in the constituents of  plants from different geographical locations.

Studies have suggested that these plants could be used to treat rickettsia fever, cough, and wounds, typhoid fever, and infective hepatitis or jaundice (Gill, 1992). Many traditionally used medicinal plants are known to contain antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties for medicinal purposes (Adesokan et al., 2007; Odugbemi et al., 2007; Fasola et al., 2011, Singh et al., 2008).  The purpose of this study was to determine the major chemical groups found in Enantia Chlorantha’s ethanolic root extract, as well as its hematologic and serum biochemistry variables, as well as histopathological changes in Wistar albino rats after a single oral intake. This should provide preliminary information on E. chlorantha’s safety as well as establish toxicological limits in rats.

Enantia chlorantha is found along the West and Central African shores in large numbers. In Nigeria’s woodland regions, it’s also fairly common. It’s a large decorative tree with dense foliage and a spreading crown that can reach 30 meters tall. The thin, dark brown exterior bark is fissured geometrically, while the brown inner bark is pale cream beneath. The elliptic leaves are 0.14–0.15 m long and 0.05–0.14 m wide, and the stem is fluted and scented (Iwu, 1993). Enantia Chlorantha one of such medicinal stem bark is used  to treat jaundice and urinary tract infections (Adjanohoun et al., 1996).

In order to fulfil the study objectives, a preliminary research must be conducted in order to assess potential hazards such as undesired effects, overdose, or poisoning in order to produce a standard natural plant product. The purpose of our research was to identify the  hepatotoxicity of the ethanolic extracts of Enantia chlorantha root on wistar albino rats.

1.2 Problem Statement and Justification

In general, natural products and in particular, medicinal plants, are believed to be an important source of novel chemical substances with potential therapeutic capabilities. Considering that most of anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-malarial and antipyretic synthetic drugs such as aspirin, morphine chloroquine and artemisinin were derived from plant products, the search for plant species with anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic properties should be viewed as a fruitful strategy in search of new drugs (Gupta et al., 2006).

Though there are some ethnobotanical studies conducted on this medicinal plant, there has been no scientifically evaluated data about its potential. It is against this background that the hepatotoxicity of the ethanolic extracts of Enantia chlorantha root on wistar albino rats.

1.3 Research Questions

The research Questions to be tackled in this work include:

• What are the qualitative phytochemical composition of root extracts of Enantia Chlorantha?
• Do the root extracts of Enantia Chlorantha have any antipyretic effects on Wistar Albino Rats?
  • Objective of the Study
• To determine the qualitative phytochemical composition of root extracts of Enantia Chlorantha
• To determine whether the root extracts of Enantia Chlorantha have antipyretic effects on Wistar Albino Rats.
  • Significance of the Study

This study will ensure that the general public will be better informed on the danger and/or use of the selected herbal medicines. It is also hoped that  the traditional healers will stop prescribing herbs that may pose a danger to patient. They will also be advised on a better and more effective way to prepare and use the selected plants.

HEPATOTOXICITY OF THE ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF Enantia chlorantha ROOT ON WISTAR ALBINO RATS

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