Hepatotoxicity of Ethanol Extract of Adenium obesum Stem Bark in Wistar Rats

Aims: Adenium obesum is a known medicinal plant thereby creating the need for the evaluation of its toxicity and histopathological effects on the liver of female Wistar rats orally administered ethanol extract of the plant’s stem bark.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Veterinary Pathology, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, between January 2011 and January 2012.
Methodology: Ethanol extraction of A. obesum stem bark was performed prior to screening it for its phytochemical constituents. Female rats per group were orally administered by gavage pre-defined doses (300mgkg-1, 2000mgkg-1 and 5000 mgkg-1) of the extract separatively in a stepwise procedure and observed for signs of toxicity. Control rats were administered distilled water placebo.
Results: The extract contained some alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, steroids and triterpens with no anthraquinones. Exposed rats did not show signs of toxicity and neither was there any mortality. Changes in aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities were non-significant (p>0.05). Congestion and fatty degenerative changes were seen in the liver of the exposed rats, which were not significantly (p>0.05) different in exposed rats compared to the control.
Conclusion: Adenium obesum did not cause major hepatic damage in the exposed rats and therefore, it is a safe oral medicinal plant within the extract dose and exposure period used in the study.