Effects of Sub-acute Oral Administration of Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Byrsocarpus coccineus on Haematology and Serum Biochemical Parameters of Wistar Albino Rats.

Abstract

Byrsocarpus coccineus is an indigenous herb widely dispersed in tropical Africa and commonly known as Crimson thyme. The leaf and root of the plant is noted to possess medicinal benefits in traditional medicine of the Western part of Nigeria. The plant has been reported to possess analgesic, antiplasmodial, inflammatory, antidiarrhic and antipyretic activities. The present study was therefore aimed at determining the sub-acute toxicity of ethanolic leaf extract of Byrsocarpus coccineus. The ethanolic leaf extract of the plant was administered orally at 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg to three groups A, B and C of Wistar rats respectively for 14 days while the control group D was administered orally with 3ml/kg of distilled water. Blood samples were then obtained from the anaesthetized rats for haematology and serum biochemistry. The result obtained from serum analyses showed a significant increase (p<0.05) in the levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels while the increase in alkaline phosphatase is not significant for the treated groups B and C compared with the control. It was therefore concluded that high doses of the extract may have untoward effects on the kidney and therefore, the use of the plant extract in high doses should be discouraged.