Abstract
Ethyl acetate fraction (Ec4) of honeycomb was evaluated for acute toxicity and haematopoietic effects in rats using standard methods. Oral LD50 of fraction Ec4 was 5000 mg/kgbw. Oral administration of Ec4 (25 mg/kgbw, 50 mg/kgbw and 100 mg/kgbw) for 28days did not cause any variation in neutophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, WBC, RBC PCV, MCHC, MCV and platelet counts of rats. Fraction Ec4 at 100mg/kgbw evoked an insignificant (P>0.05) increase in the levels of basophil and significant (P<0.05) decrease in eosinophil counts in treated rats compared with the control. The results of this study revealed the potentials of honeycomb in stabilizing the immune system. Therefore, the fraction could be standardized and developed into affordable and acceptable phytomedicine for various ailments. But caution should be exercised on chronic exposure since it is capable of causing allergy in rats.
Highlights
The use of natural products in treatment of various illnesses is increasing globally
Marloive (2014) reported that bacteria cannot survive in bee product because of its potassium, high sugar content and low pH
There was no death recorded in animals that received the fraction from 10 mg/kgbw – 5000 mg/kgbw
Summary
The use of natural products in treatment of various illnesses is increasing globally. It is widely accepted that the use of natural products and its derived principles will offer access to effective medical care for the treatment and management of diseases (Lawal et al, 2015a, Tsado et al, 2016). It is recommended that safety should be the overriding criterion in the selection of these natural products for health care needs (Shittu et al, 2015). Bee products clean the blood vessels and aids digestion because of its antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties (Bogdanov, 2017, Effa, 2011)
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