European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

DETERMINATION OF THE DOSE AND TIME DEPENDENT TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECT OF HYROALCOHOLIC EXTRACT OF TERMINALIA CATAPPA KERNEL ON THE BIOCHEMICAL LIVER INDICES OF WISTER RATS

Batubo Nimisoere P.* and Boma H. Opusunju

ABSTRACT

Terminalia catappa is medicinal plant that is used in ancient tradition in the treatment several diseases. In this study, the dose and time dependent toxicological effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Terminalia catappa kernel were determined on Wister rats in long-term treatment period which covered for 42 days. Forty female Wister rats were used as experimental animals and equally divided into 5 groups. Three groups were treated orally with three different doses of Terminalia catappa crude hydroalcoholic extract; 0.5 g/kg, 1.0 g/kg and 3.0 g/kg respectively while another two groups as positive and negative control. Signs of toxicity in the experimental rats can be group in stages. Primary stage of toxicity was determined by the number of death, feed consumption, water intake and physiological characteristics of the animal were observation and secondary stage, which was determined by the determination of biochemical liver indices. No death was recorded for the Wister rats in all test groups during the period of the study. The nutritional behaviour of the rats was not affected and no abnormalities in the physiological characteristic of the rats were detected. The biochemical liver indices (AST, ALT, ALP, Total protein, Albumin and Total bilirubin) were not significantly (p>0.05) altered. Based on the results, it can be concluded that there were no hepatotoxicity effects of hydroalcoholic Terminalia catappa kernel extract on Wister rats in 42 days experimental period and therefore it can be said to have a wide margin of safety for use and consumption.

Keywords: Terminalia Catappa kernel, Hyroalcoholic extract, long-term treatment period, Wister rats, Biochemical liver indices, toxicological effects.