Phytochemical, antioxidant and toxicological assessment of pericopsis laxiflora (baker) stem bark extract in rats

The study was aimed at evaluating the acute and subacute toxicity of the 50% hydroethanolic extract (HSE) and methanolic extract (MSE) of Pericopsis laxiflora stem bark. The extracts were analysed for phytochemical constituents, DPPH scavenging activity, FT-IR, and GC-MS using standard methods. The acute toxicity was assessed at a single oral dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight (b.wt.) of extract while in the subacute study, the extracts were administered orally (at doses of 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg, b,wt.) for 28 days and observed for signs of toxicity. Safety was assessed based on the effect of treatment on body weights, organ weights, haematology, serum biochemical indices, and histopathological examination of the liver. The extracts contained alkaloids, polyphenols, saponins, and cyanogenic glycosides with significant radical scavenging activity. The LD50 was established to be greater than 5000 mg/kg while the subacute study showed no significant effect on the body weights, organ weights, biochemical, and haematological parameters at all doses compared with non-treated animals. However, an increase in WBC levels was recorded in both sexes. No significant hepatic lesions were observed in histology. The present study showed that Pericopsis laxiflora stem bark hydroethanolic and methanolic extracts possess antioxidant properties and did not produce any harmful effect in both acute and sub-acute studies of male and female rats, therefore usage of these extracts for their medicinal purpose is recommended.

KEYWORDS: Toxicity, biochemical, histopathological, Pericopsis laxiflora.