EVALUATION OF THE TOXICOLOGICAL AND ANTIOXIDANT EFFICACY OF THE ETHANOLIC ROOTS EXTRACT OF FUNTUMIA ELASTICA ON LIVER AND KIDNEY OF WISTAR RATS.

Abstract

Background: Toxicological profiling of medicinal plants is becoming increasingly necessary because

of the high dependence on these plants by low-income earners and the increased need for cheap and

less toxic natural products.

Aim: This study evaluated the toxicological evaluation of the ethanolic extract of Funtumia elastica on

the liver and kidney of Wistar rats.

Method: Twenty (20) adult Wistar rats randomly assigned into 4 groups; A to D (n = 5) and

administered 200 mg/kg bw, 500 mg/kg bw and 1000 mg/kg bw of the ethanolic extracts of F. elastica

orally and consecutively for 28 days. The wistar rats were sacrificed via cervical dislocation, organs of

interest were then harvested and biochemical and histological analysis carried out.

Results: Our findings from this study in comparison with control, include a statistically significant

increase (p < 0.05) in the catalase activity in the liver of Wistar rats administered 200 mg/kg bw of F.

elastic, and decrease in malondialdehyde in the groups administered 500 mg/kg/bw and 1000 mg/kg

1. Gluthatione was reduced significantly in the liver across all the groups administered with the

extract. The kidney didn’t show any form of changes in the antioxidant status on administration of the

extracts. We observed the presence of active interstitial infiltrates of lymphocytes and active interstitial

congestion alongside normal glomeruli and tubules in the kidney of Wistar rats administered 1000

mg/kg bw of F. elastica.

Conclusion: F. elastic showed no obvious signs of toxicity on the liver and kidney morphology and

could be said to be safe for therapeutic purposes.