Abstract
Background: Conflicting reports about the toxicity of Synedrella nodiflora (L) Gaertn (family Asteraceae), a plant traditionally used in Ghana for the management of epilepsy, abound in literature. The present study evaluates the effect of a 90-day continuous oral administration of a hydro-ethanolic whole plant extract of Synedrella nodiflora (SNE) in male Sprague-Dawley rats.Methods: The toxicological evaluation of the extract (100, 300 and 1000 mgkg-1) was focused on haematological, serum biochemical parameters and histopathological changes of some isolated organs.Results: The extract produced no mortality in the rats treated during the study period. Only SNE 100 mgkg-1 produced significant decrease in white blood cell and neutrophil counts and an increase in albumin, globulin, total bilirubin, total protein and potassium levels. The higher doses (SNE 300 and 1000 mgkg-1) had no significant effect on all the haematological and biochemical parameters measured. Histopathological assessment of the liver, kidney and heart revealed no abnormalities in rats treated with the extracts. Only the SNE 1000 mgkg-1 produced distortions of the branching arrangements of the myocardial fibres and a congested vessel which indicates a healed infarction.Conclusions: The findings suggest hydro-ethanolic extract of Synedrella nodiflora (L) Gaertn generally has a low toxicity profile following a 90-day continuous oral administration in male Sprague-Dawley rats under the present laboratory conditions. However patients with renal or cardiac problems should use the plant with caution.Funding: Jointly supported by the International Foundation for Science, Stockholm, Sweden, through a grant (# F/5191-1) to Dr. Patrick Amoateng and the Office of Research, Innovation and Development (ORID), University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana, grant awarded to Dr. Patrick Amoateng (reference number: URF/6/ILG-002/2012-2013)Keywords: : Synedrella nodiflora, Sprague-Dawley rats, histopathological, haematological
Highlights
Synedrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn, commonly known as the node weed, is a herb found growing indiscriminately along the banks of rivers, streams and roadsides.[1]
In Ghana, the whole plant is boiled and the aqueous extract drunk for the treatment of epilepsy whiles the leaves are used for threatened abortion, hiccup, laxative and feed for livestock.[1, 2]
A number of studies have been conducted to evaluate the nutritive potential of Synedrella nodiflora in livestock and in one of these studies it was realized that supplementation of the feed of guinea pigs with the node weed plant protects the animals from copper and lead-induced toxicities.[15]
Summary
Synedrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn (family Asteraceae), commonly known as the node weed, is a herb found growing indiscriminately along the banks of rivers, streams and roadsides.[1]. Extracts of the aerial parts of S. nodiflora have been found to possess insecticidal property substantiating the use of the leaves of the plant by farmers in Ghana as post-harvest protectants to control storage pests.[11,12,13] reports from these studies suggest that the plant extract presented no neurotoxicity or neurobehavioural effects in rats. A number of studies have been conducted to evaluate the nutritive potential of Synedrella nodiflora in livestock and in one of these studies it was realized that supplementation of the feed of guinea pigs with the node weed plant protects the animals from copper and lead-induced toxicities.[15] a 14-day administration of an aqueous extract from the plant to male rats was found to have some degree of toxicity on the haematological parameters, liver and caused degenerative changes in the germinal epithelial cells of the seminiferous tubules. A 14-day administration of an aqueous extract from the plant to male rats was found to have some degree of toxicity on the haematological parameters, liver and caused degenerative changes in the germinal epithelial cells of the seminiferous tubules. 16 Contrary to this report, a current toxicological assessment of a hydro-ethanolic extract from the plant suggests that it possess no observable toxicity in male Sprague-Dawley rats following a 14-day oral administration and the lethal dose of this extract was found to be greater than 6400 mgkg-1.17,18 The present study was conducted with the aim of establishing the toxicological effects of a hydro-ethanolic extract following a 90-day continuous oral administration in male Sprague-Dawley rats and this will provide further information regarding the safety of this plant, which has an enormous potential for drug discovery
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