Abstract
Croton gratissimus Burch. and Schrankia leptocarpa DC. are two plants from the Beninese flora which are traditionally used for the treatment of arterial hypertension. The present study investigated the acute toxicity of ethanolic extracts of these plants. The experiment was conducted according to OECD guideline 423 categories 5 using a single dose of 5000mg/kg of the extracts. The average lethal doses (LD50) of the extracts are higher than 5000 mg/kg body weight. The oral administration of C. gratissimus and Schrankia leptocarpa extracts to the rats of all groups provoked a significant decrease in the plasma levels of AST (P < 0.05) compared to the control batch between day 1 and day 14. There was no significant alteration in the creatinine levels in the all treated groups. The authors results showed that acute treatments with C. gratissimus and Schrankia leptocarpa extracts significantly (p<0.05) elevated serum total protein. However, the administration of the Schrankia leptocarpa extract to rats resulted in a statistically significant decrease (p< 0.05) in WBCs, GRA in the different batches between day 1 and day 14. The Schrankia leptocarpa extract caused a significant increase (p< 0.05) in MCV, in haematocrit, in blood platelets between day 1 and day 14. The C. gratissimus extract caused a significant increase (p<0.05) in blood platelets, in neutrophil in the different batches between day 1 and day 14. It appears that the extracts can be used therapeutically and that C. gratissimus may have hepatoprotective and immunostimulatory effects. Finally, Schrankia leptocarpa in addition to an immunostimulant effect could prevent microcytic anaemia. Key words: Croton gratissimus, Schrankia leptocarpa, acute toxicity, lethal doses.
Highlights
The two plants were selected in July 2018 in the agro-ecological zone of Abomey-calavi in southern Benin. They were certified at the National Herbarium of Benin by comparison with reference samples kept under the numbers AA 6744/HNB for C. gratissimus Burch and AA 6745/HNB for Schrankia leptocarpa DC
The yields were calculated using the following formula: R = (Me ×100) /Mv R=Yield Me=Mass of extract obtained Mv = Vegetable matter used Yields of 8.56% were obtained for C. gratissimus Burch. and 6.78% for Schrankia leptocarpa DC
None of the rats were given an equal dose of the ethanolic extract of Schrankia leptocarpa DC
Summary
In all regions of the world, and in Africa and in some less developed countries in Asia, plants are used to treat both communicable and non-communicable diseases (Diallo et al, 2003; Gurib-Fakim et al, 2006; Boukandou et al, 2015; Lawaly et al, 2019) For this reason, for some years in Africa, the public authorities have been looking into the formalization of socalled traditional medicine. The OECD guidelines allow toxicological studies to be carried out in relation to the use of different doses in order to estimate LD50 values. This line allows toxicity tests to be carried out according to well-defined categories and related to specific doses. The results will have the advantage of removing any ambiguity regarding their medicinal application
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