Abstract
Background: Irvingia gabonensis (Aubry-Lecomte ex O’Rorke) Baill. has been widely prescribed in African traditional medicine system for the management of hernia, yellow fever, gastrointestinal, liver conditions and sterility, as well as for some other ethno-medicinal uses. Aim: The study was to investigate the safety margins of ethanol extract of I. gabonensis root barks (EEIGRB) in Wistar rats. Setting: This research is a toxicology investigation. Methods: The acute and sub-acute toxicity studies conducted on the EEIGRB, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) methods. Results: The acute toxicity studies revealed that LD 50 was > 5000 mg/kg. In the sub-acute study, significant increase in body weights ( p 0.05) changes in the haematological, hepatic and renal indices except for significant reduction ( p < 0.05) in serum concentrations of sodium and creatinine at 400 mg/kg of EEIGRB compared with control group. Histopathological examination of the liver and kidney revealed that at 200 mg/kg, there was a slight hepatic necrosis in the liver and a slight tubular necrosis in the kidney, whereas at 400 mg/kg, there was a moderate foci necrosis in the liver and a slight glomerular distortion occurred in the kidney. Conclusion: The results indicate that EEIGRB was found to be practically safe after acute administration, and there were histomorphological alterations in the liver and kidney after prolonged administration in the sub-acute dosages.
Highlights
The practice of traditional medicine and the use of medicinal plants in most developing countries as a normative basis for the maintenance of good health have been widely reported (Jordan, Cunningham & Marles 2010)
Two kilograms of powdered root bark of I. gabonensis was extracted with 5 litres (L) of 70% ethanol in a glass jar for 3 days (72 h) at room temperature by using the maceration technique
The extract was filtered, the filtrate was further concentrated by using a rotary evaporator at 40 °C and final evaporation to dry the extract was performed by using the water bath set at a temperature of 50 °C
Summary
The practice of traditional medicine and the use of medicinal plants in most developing countries as a normative basis for the maintenance of good health have been widely reported (Jordan, Cunningham & Marles 2010). Medicinal plants are the backbone of traditional medicine as the world population continually source plant products as their primary sources of medicine (Nunn 2002). Over 80% of Asian and African countries still rely deeply on medicinal plants for their primary health care needs (Yang et al 2019). Many medicinal herbs are therapeutic at one dose and toxic at another, and with the growing demand for plant-based medicines, there are serious concerns for their use and safety (Saad et al 2006; World Health Organisation 2013). Irvingia gabonensis (Aubry-Lecomte ex O’Rorke) Baill. has been widely prescribed in African traditional medicine system for the management of hernia, yellow fever, gastrointestinal, liver conditions and sterility, as well as for some other ethno-medicinal uses
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
