Abstract
BackgroundGymnema sylvestre is a reputable medicinal plant commonly explore for the management of diabetes and other ailments in traditional medicine. In the present study, we investigated the phytochemical compositions and effect of crude extract, hexane, and ethyl-acetate fractions of Gymnema sylvestre on biochemical and hematological parameters of Wistar rats.MethodsAlbino rats were distributed randomly into a control group and nine treatment groups orally administered crude extract and fractions of Gymnema sylvestre (100, 300, and 600 mg/kg BW) for 21 days. Liver and kidney function indices, as well as hematological parameters, were monitored.ResultsOur results revealed that the crude methanol extract contains flavonoids (8.56 ± 0.50 mg/g), alkaloids (13.84 ± 0.67 mg/g), total phenol (1.98 ± 0.50 mg/g), saponins (23.85 ± 0.35 mg/g) and tannins (16.00 ± 0.34 mg/g). The crude methanol, ethyl acetate and n-hexane fractions of Gymnema sylvestre had LD50 greater than 5000 mg/kg BW in acute oral toxicity test. The extract and fractions at 300 and 600 mg/kg BW cause loss of body weight of the rats, significantly altered (p < 0.05) the levels of biochemical indices including the aspartate transaminases, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphates, bilirubin, proteins, urea, creatinine, and white blood cells (WBC) counts when compared with the non-treated control. However, the extract and fractions at 100 mg/kg BW did not cause any significant (p > 0.05) alterations to the levels of biochemical and hematological parameters when compared with the non-treated control.ConclusionGymnema sylvestre at sub-acute doses of 300 and 600 mg/kg BW could compromise the functional integrity of the rats’ liver and kidney. The study, therefore, suggested the use of Gymnema sylvestre for oral remedy at a dose of 100 mg/kg or below.
Highlights
Gymnema sylvestre is a reputable medicinal plant commonly explore for the management of diabetes and other ailments in traditional medicine
Effect of crude extract and fractions of Gymnema sylvestre on hematological parameters in wister rats There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in red blood cells (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), HB, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) of all extract-treated groups when compared with the control group
White blood cell concentrations on the other hand decrease (p < 0.05) in all treatment groups compared to the control (Table 3)
Summary
Gymnema sylvestre is a reputable medicinal plant commonly explore for the management of diabetes and other ailments in traditional medicine. The safety evaluation of medicinal plants intended for use as oral remedies holds an important aspect of drug development from the natural products. The safety of these plants is, further jeopardized by the unhygienic and unethical processing, lack of quality controls, appropriate labeling and dosage [6]. Herbal consumers need to be informed of the safety and appropriate use of these plants. Studies aimed at contributing to the scanty information on the possible toxic effects of these plants on the biological system are increasing [7]. In vivo acute, sub-acute, chronic, and sub-chronic toxicity studies are the most widely accepted experimental strategies for assessing the safety or toxicity of medicinal plants as data generated from these studies holds a translational relevance in humans
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