Acute and Sub-Acute Toxicity Study of Ethanolic Extract of Euphorbia kamerunica (Pax) in Mice

Abstract

Background<italic>Euphorbia kamerunica</italic> is a frequently used plant in herbal medicine for the treatment of gonorrhoea, gastrointestinal infection and healing of newborn's cord. Reports on the toxicity of <italic>E. kamerunica</italic> are scanty.Aim of the study was to ascertain acute and sub-acute toxicity of the ethanol extract of <italic>E. kamerunica</italic> (Pax) on mice.Materials and MethodsIn the acute toxicity study, the mice were fed with varying concentrations of the extract (10, 100, 1000, 2000 mg/kg body weight) and monitored for exhibition of physical signs of toxicity within 72hours period while 1000 mg/kg body weight of the plant extract was administered orally to the mice daily for fourteen days in the sub-acute study. Blood samples were taken on the 7^th and 14^th day post treatment with extract and analysed by standard methods in the sub-acute study. Samples of major organs (liver, kidney, lungs, heart, stomach, small intestine and brain) were also taken for histological examination.ResultsIn the acute toxicity study no lethality resulted from the extracts given at concentrations between 10–2000 mg/kg body weight administered per oral. The haematogram of blood samples of the mice in the sub-acute toxicity study revealed a steady and significant increase in total white blood count, neutrophils and platelets. The effect of the extract on the lymphocyte count, haemoglobin estimation, red blood cell count, packed cell volume estimation and mean corpuscular volume are much felt among the 7^th day post treatment group while the biochemical analysis of the blood samples showed increase in the renal and liver functions parameters which were not statistically significant except for change in sodium concentration (p&lt;0.05). The histology of the organs showed time related effect on liver and kidney of mice with vascular congestion, inflammation and increased cellularity of the glomeruli being the most common features.The results of this investigation showed that <italic>E. kamerunica</italic> should be used with caution and not for a prolonged period of time.