Background Burkea africana is a widely used medicinal plant in folkloric medicine in many developing countries of the world. It is useful in the treatment of various ailments including hepatitis, jaundice, diarrhea, stomach aches, abscesses, oedema, epilepsy, bloody diarrhea, gonorrhea, syphilis, toothaches and poisoning. Nevertheless, there are little or no scientific evidence to substantiate this medicinal claim by traditional healers. Burkea africana stem bark was therefore, investigated for its protective or stabilizing effect on erythrocyte membrane in acetaminophen-treated rats. B. africana stem bark was extracted using 80% methanol. Erythrocyte stabilizing effect was studied using erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF) test. Thirty (30) male rats were randomly assigned into five (5) groups of six (6) rats each. Groups 1 and 2 served as normal control and negative control (acetaminophen-treated group) respectively. Groups 3, 4 and 5 were pretreated with methanol stem bark extract of Burkea africana (MSBEBA) at doses of 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg body weight respectively once daily for seven (7) days. Blood samples were collected from the animals in all the groups on the 8 day for evaluation of packed cell volume, haemoglobin, red blood cell, white blood cell counts, and differential white blood cell count as well as erythrocyte osmotic fragility. Results The erythrocyte osmotic fragility test showed that there was a significantly (p < 0.05) low percentage hemolysis in the groups pre-treated with the extract when compared with the negative control. The percentage hemolysis was least at 600 mg/kg body weight of the extract. There was also a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the packed cell volume, haemoglobin, red blood cell count at all the doses of the extract used. Neutrophils were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased while lymphocytes were significantly increased in the groups administered MSBEBA 400 and 600 mg/kg body weight. Conclusion Methanol stem bark extract of Burkea africana had protective effect on the red blood cells and also improved haematological parameters. This indicates that Burkea africana may be useful in the treatment of disease conditions that results in hemolytic anemia by stabilizing red erythrocyte membranes and enhancing erythropoiesis.

superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidases (Glutathione peroxidases), 5 glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferases, ascorbate peroxidase and catalase. 6 They act by inhibiting or neutralizing reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and also detoxify products of lipid peroxidation such as malondialdehyde (MDA). Glutathione and its reducing equivalent, ascorbate, together with enzymes (mono and dihydroascorbate reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase and glutathione reductase) are useful for the removal of ROS. Synthetic liver and or kidney protective drugs are bewildered with a lot of side effects and are also expensive. Scientists have undertaken to find better, safer and cheaper liver protective drugs from natural sources such as medicinal plants. Burkea africana (Ceaesalpiniaceae) also known as Wild Syringa is a deciduous flat-topped plant which is readily found in tropical and subtropical region of Africa. 7 It has been widely used in folkloric medicine in Africa for the treatment of several disease conditions including hepatitis and other liver related disorders. It is also used for the treatment of fever, scabies, stomach aches, abscesses, edema, syphilis, ulcers, wounds, cough, catarrh, menorrhea, pneumonia, epilepsy, bloody diarrhea, gonorrhea, toothache, headache, poisoning, skin diseases and inflammation of the tongue and gums. 8,9 Studies have revealed that Burkea africana stem bark has invitro antioxidant, 10,11 molluscicidal, 12 antibacterial, antifungal, 13 and antiviral (anti-influenza) activities. 14 The anti-cancer, antidiarrheal, sedative and anxiolytic properties of the plant have been reported. 7 Burkea africana stem bark have been shown to have significant cell protecting effect in-vitro. 15 Phytochemical screening of the methanol and aqueous stem bark extract of Burkea africana revealed constituents such as tannins, saponins, cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, coumarins, plobatannins, sterols and terpenes in the bark. 13 The presence of two major proanthocyanidins components (fisetinidol-(4α-8)-catechin 3-gallate and bisfisetinidol

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the sub-acute toxicity profile of hydro-methanol extract of Burkea africana  (BA) stem bark in rats. Methods: The stem bark of BA was extracted by cold maceration using 80% methanol. Twenty female albino rats were randomly assigned into four groups of five rats each. Group 1 (only distilled water). Groups 2-4 received the extract (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) orally, once daily for 28 days. The rats were observed for signs of toxicity and the bodyweight (b.wt) of rats taken weekly. Blood samples were collected on day 28 for hematology and serum chemistry. Visceral organs were harvested for organ-somatic index and histopathology. Results: There were no toxicity signs observed and no significant (p< 0.05) change in body weight but the pulmo-somatic index was significantly (p< 0.05) higher at 400 mg/kg compared with the control and other treated groups. Significant (p< 0.05) increase in PCV, RBC, and MCV and significant (p< 0.05) decrease in MCHC, Total WBC count, neutrophils and lymphocytes were observed. Also, there were significant (p< 0.05) decreases in ALT, total protein, globulin, total bilirubin of test groups when compared with the control group. Urea concentration of test groups significantly (p< 0.05) increased when compared with that of the control group. Conclusions: BA stem bark extract can be said to have no deleterious effect on erythrocyte, but rather serve to improve erythropoiesis and also has no overt toxic effect on the visceral organs. Also the extract may have immunosuppressive and oxidative tendencies on prolong use.                                   Peer Review History: Received 12 January 2021; Revised 3 February; Accepted 25 February, Available online 15 March 2021 UJPR follows the most transparent and toughest ‘Advanced OPEN peer review’ system. The identity of the authors and, reviewers will be known to each other. This transparent process will help to eradicate any possible malicious/purposeful interference by any person (publishing staff, reviewer, editor, author, etc) during peer review. As a result of this unique system, all reviewers will get their due recognition and respect, once their names are published in the papers. We expect that, by publishing peer review reports with published papers, will be helpful to many authors for drafting their article according to the specifications. Auhors will remove any error of their article and they will improve their article(s) according to the previous reports displayed with published article(s). The main purpose of it is ‘to improve the quality of a candidate manuscript’. Our reviewers check the ‘strength and weakness of a manuscript honestly’. There will increase in the perfection, and transparency.  Received file:                Reviewer's Comments: Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 5.0/10 Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 8.0/10 Reviewer(s) detail: Idoko Alexander, Caritas University, Enugu, Nigeria, idokoalexander1@gmail.com Taha A.I. El Bassossy,  Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Department, Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt, tahachemist2008@gmail.com   Similar Articles: PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF METHANOL EXTRACT OF RUSSELIA EQUISETIFORMIS AGAINST PARACETAMOL-INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN WISTAR RATS EFFECTS OF RAW AND COOKED AQUEOUS AND METHANOL EXTRACTS OF PHASEOLUS VULGARIS (KIDNEY BEANS) ON RENAL FUNCTION IN ALBINO WISTAR RATS EVALUATION OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF EUPHORBIA NERIIFOLIA STEM BARK ON BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS, SERUM AND TISSUE LIPIDS IN A PRECLINICAL MODEL