TITLE:
Acute and Sub-Acute Toxicity of Ethanolic Leaf Extracts of Rumex abyssinica Jacq. (Polygonaceae) and Mentha spicata L. (Lamiaceae)
AUTHORS:
Maud Kamatenesi Mugisha, James Gakunga Ndukui, Agnes Namutembi, Paul Waako, Ann-Karl Borg Karlson, Patrick Vudriko
KEYWORDS:
Histopathology; Mentha spicata; Rumex abyssinica; Toxicity
JOURNAL NAME:
Pharmacology & Pharmacy,
Vol.5 No.3,
March
27,
2014
ABSTRACT: Rumex abyssinica Jacq. (Polygonaceae) is locally used
in management of allergies and female reproductive
healthcare; whereas Mentha spicata L. (Lamiaceae) is used to treat gastrointestinal and
respiratory distress, dandruff, halitosis and malaria in Uganda. Owing to the
paucity of data on their safety profiles, this study evaluated the acute and
sub-acute toxicities of 70% ethanolic leaf extracts of both plants in mice and
Wistar albino rats. The oral acute toxicity of both plants was evaluated in
Swiss mice of 7-8
weeks old (16-22 g) body weight and
LD50 determined. Sub-acute toxicity was evaluated in Wistar albino
rats (6 per group) at dose rates of 500, 1000 and 1500 mg/kg for 28 days. The
LD50 of R. abyssinica and M. spicata in mice was 7727 mg/kg and 13,606 mg/kg body weight, respectively. General signs of toxicity due to large doses of both plants extract
included hyperurination, abdominal muscle twitches and convulsions. In the
sub-acute toxicity test, rats treated with both extracts did not exhibit
any clinical signs of toxicity; no mortality and
changes in body weight were observed. R.
abyssinica did not cause significant changes in haematological
indices, except a significant increase in HCT (p 0.05).
However, a dose dependant significant decrease in
HCT (p 0.05) and a
significant increase (p 0.05)
in the levels of WBC, LMY and MCHC were observed in rats
treated with M. spicata extract. Biochemical
test showed that both extracts caused a significant dose dependent increase (p 0.05)
in levels of ALT and ALP. Marked increase in the levels of AST was also
observed in rats treated with M. spicata extract. Of the two extracts,
only rats treated with