Acute and sub-chronic toxicity of the aqueous extract of Ficus vogelii (Miq.) Miq. stem bark in rats

Abstract

Ficus vogelii is a medicinal plant mainly found in tropical Africa and reported to treat inflammatory complaints. This study aims to evaluate the acute and sub-chronic toxicity of the aqueous extract of Ficus vogelii stem bark in wistar rats. For acute study, aqueous extract at a single dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight was administered to female rats and observed for 14 days. In the sub-chronic study, the extract was administered daily to both sex rats at the doses of 100, 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight for 28 consecutive days. Body weight was measured weekly, while hematological, biochemical, and histopathological parameters were analyzed after euthanize. Aqueous extract of Ficus vogelii at all tested doses didn’t produced any mortality or significant change on the body weight and relative weight of rats on acute and sub-chronic studies. The lethal dose 50 was estimated greater than 5000 mg/kg (DL50˃5000 mg/kg). Hematological parameters were recorded non-significant in all treated rats. Aqueous extract at 600 mg/kg significantly changed transaminases and alkaline phosphatase activities, these changes were reversible in satellites. The concentrations of bilirubin was increased at 200 and 600 mg/kg in male rats, at 100, 400 mg/kg in female rats. The levels of lipids markers didn’t changed, except the significant decrease of LDL-cholesterol. Histological examination didn’t showed any change in the architecture of the liver and kidney of rats treated compared to control. Thus aqueous extract of Ficus vogelii stem bark didn’t produced adverse effects in rats after oral acute and sub-chronic treatment.