Effects of sub acute oral administration of aqueous extract of Stereospermum kunthianum (Bignoniaceae) stem bark on body weight and haematological indices of rats

Abstract

The study evaluates the effects of sub acute oral administration (28 days) of aqueous extract of Stereospermum kunthianum stem bark on the body weight and haematological indices of rats. Treatments were administered by oral gavage once daily for a total of 28 days. The first group (control) received distilled water (5 ml/kg), the second, third and fourth groups received the extract at the doses of 0.5, 1 and 2 g/kg body weight respectively. The animals were observed daily for behavioral changes and any signs of toxic manifestations. The body weight of each rat was recorded on days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28. Standard methods were employed to assay for the haematological indices using the automated haematologic analyzer. The extract (0.5, 1 or 2 g/kg) caused no symptoms of toxicity nor death. Body weights of the treated rats were not significantly altered on day 28 compared to their corresponding body weight before treatment. However, the control rats manifested marked increase in body weight compared to their body weight at the beginning of experiment. Most of the haematological parameters evaluated were not significantly altered by the extract at the doses studied, however, the extract at 1.0 or 2.0 g/kg significantly (P<0.05) reduced the packed cell volume (PCV) values of the treated rats compared to that of the control. Oral administration of the extract to rats for 28 days produced no overt toxic manifestation nor marked adverse effects on the body weight and most of the haematological parameters.

Keywords: Sub acute; Toxicity; Body weight; Haematological indices, Stereospermum; Kunthianum