Effect of a hydroethanol 70% extract from trunk bark of Terminalia superba Engl. and diels (combretaceae) on some serum biochemical parameters in rats

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONFor a long time, plants served as first source of drugs for human who used them as therapeutic remedies.1 In this case, more than 50 000 therapeutic species were listed. 2 Medicinal plants constitute the major source of drugs resulting from traditional medicine.3 For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) asserts that people in developing countries who use traditional medicine for their primary health care are estimated at 80% approximately. 4 It is therefore established that medicinal plants play an important role in the fight against the majority of pathologies and are considered harmless to the organism because they are natural. 4,5 However, their empirical use exposes populations to intoxications that ABSTRACT Background: In the framework of the valorization of traditional medicine, the biotolerance study of a hydroethanol 70% extract from trunk bark of Terminalia superba (HE 70%) Engl. and Diels (Combretaceae), a medicinal plant used for the treatment of gastric ulcer in Côte d'Ivoire was carried out by oral administration repeated for 28 days to three rat groups at doses 250, 500 and 750 mg/kg per body weight (b.w.). Methods: Fifty rats were randomly divided in four groups of ten animals including three test groups and one control group. Each group included five male and five female rats. An additional satellite group of ten rats in group treated at high dose (750mg/kg b.w.) was included in order to observe reversibility, persistence or late appearance of toxic effects at least 14 days after stopping the treatment. Three doses were prepared (250; 500 and 750mg/kg b.w.) corresponding to extract concentrations (12.5; 25 and 37.5mg/ml) were given to groups B, C and D respectively. Group A, served as control group, received distilled water at 2ml/kg b.w. Groups B, C and D, received orally HE 70% extract at 250, 500 and 750mg/kg respectively. Serum AST, ALT, total and direct bilirubin, total, HDL, LDL-cholesterols, triglycerides, urea and creatinine were estimated using standard methods. Results:The blood withdrawal analysis done previously (day 0) and at the end of every week on dry tubes revealed that at all weeks and for all doses, this extract do not affect serum values of total and direct bilirubin, creatinine, total, HDL, LDL-cholesterols and triglycerides. Oppositely, this extract reduced significantly (P<0.05) ALT serum rate at the 14 th and 28 th day at 750mg/kg b.w. respectively. In addition, at the 28th day, AST rate decreased significantly (P<0.05) at 750mg/kg b.w. Glycemia showed a significant (P <0.05) reduction at the 28 th day at doses 500 and 750 mg/kg b.w. In contrast, urea increased significantly (P<0.05) at the 28th day at 500mg/kg b.w. Conclusions:This study showed that the use of a hydroethanol 70% extract from trunk bark of T. superba would be hepatoprotective, nontoxic for kidneys, liver and hypoglycemic at the studied doses.