Abstract
BackgroundThe leaves of Gongronema latifolium Benth. have long been recognized traditionally as a remedy for a variety of ailments in Africa. This study was conducted to evaluate the safety profile of the ethanolic extract of G. latifolium (GLES) leaves through a repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity study in male and female of Sprague Dawley rats.MethodsGLES was orally administered at doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg/day consecutively for 90 days.ResultsNo behavioral or physiological changes and mortality were observed. GLES did not have a marked impact on general hematological parameters and did not precipitate nephrotoxicity. However, compared to the control, serum triglycerides, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels were lower and white adipose tissue paired retroperitoneal fat depots were depleted in male rats treated with GLES3 by the end of the experiment. The liver was significantly enlarged in GLES-treated rats of both sexes. Negative gender-specific alterations were observed with the highest dose. Adverse risk was evident in the female rats mainly due to marked body weight gain and cerebrum weight reduction.ConclusionFurther research is needed to reach more specific conclusions about to the safety of ingesting high doses of GLES for long periods of time.
Highlights
The leaves of Gongronema latifolium Benth. have long been recognized traditionally as a remedy for a variety of ailments in Africa
It is found in South America, and has moderate representation in north and south east Asia [3]Gongronema latifolium has long been recognized as an African traditional remedy for a variety of ailments, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, malaria, mental and
Gamaniel and Akah who studied the acute toxicity of aqueous extract of the stem of Gongronema latifolium Benth (GL) in mice estimated the intraperitoneal median lethal dose (LD50) value to be 1678.63 mg/kg body weight (BW) [8]
Summary
The leaves of Gongronema latifolium Benth. have long been recognized traditionally as a remedy for a variety of ailments in Africa. It is known to the natives as “Utazi” and “Arokeke” in south eastern and south western Nigeria, respectively [1, 2] It is found in South America, and has moderate representation in north and south east Asia [3]Gongronema latifolium has long been recognized as an African traditional remedy for a variety of ailments, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, malaria, mental and Despite the extensive traditional uses of GL, related scientific reports, increasing research interest, and growing demand for GL, few detailed studies of the short-term. Effiong et al performed acute and subacute (30 and 60-day) toxicity studies of an ethanolic leaf extract of GL (GLES) in rodents They reported that the acute oral LD50 of GL exceeded 5 g/kg BW, and GL was not toxic at doses below 300 mg/kg [14]
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