Abstract
Macaranga barteri is a plant used in traditional medicine to treat many illnesses. Previous studies showed the efficacy of the aqueous extract of leaf of this plant (AEMb) in the treatment of gastric ulcer within the dose range of 125–500 mg/kg body weight (b.w.). This study aims at evaluating the safety of AEMb on anthropometric and haematological parameters in wistar rats. Seventy rats were divided into seven groups of ten rats each, including five males and five females. The control group was repeatedly administered by gavage with distilled water at 1 ml/100 g for 28 days while test groups 2, 3, 4 and 5, were repeatedly gavaged with AEMb at the doses of 125, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg b.w. respectively. As for satellites (groups 6 and 7), they received daily and respectively distilled water at 1 ml/100 g b.w. and AEMb at the dose of 1000 mg/kg b.w. The results showed that AEMb caused no significant changes in the behaviour of rats and the weight of the organs removed (kidneys, liver, spleen, and heart) and their relative weights at the end of the 28 days of treatment. However, the body weight and the amount of food consumed by animals treated with AEMb at the doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg b.w. increased significantly (p < 0.05) from the third week compared to control group. Haematological analysis revealed a non-significant increase (p > 0.05) in leukocyte lineage and platelet level in female rats at the studied doses. However, a significant (p < 0.05) increase in platelet level was recorded in male rats at 1000 mg/kg b.w. A significant (p < 0.05) increase in erythrocyte and hemoglobin levels at the doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg b.w. in treated animals was also revealed. In conclusion, repeated administration of AEMb over 28 days to rats was safe on leucocyte lineage and most of erythrocyte indices at doses ranging from 125 to 1000 mg/kg b.w. Nevertheless, the use of this extract caused a transient increase of erythrocyte, hemoglobin and platelet levels 2 weeks after the end of AEMb administration, but these effects disappeared. So, the subacute oral administration of AEMb revealed few potential toxic effects overall.
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs43188-020-00048-z/MediaObjects/43188_2020_48_Fig1_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs43188-020-00048-z/MediaObjects/43188_2020_48_Fig2_HTML.png)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs43188-020-00048-z/MediaObjects/43188_2020_48_Fig3_HTML.png)
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fransworth NR, Akerele O, Bingel AS, Soejarto DD, Guo Z (1985) Medical plants in therapy. Bull World Health Organ 63:965–981. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/265180
WHO (2002) WHO traditional medicine strategy 2002–2005. WHO/EDM/TRM, Geneva, p 65
Ekor M (2014) The growing use of herbal medicines: issues relating to adverse reactions and challenges in monitoring safety. Front Pharmacol 177:1–10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2013.00177
Kamsu-Foguem B, Foguem C (2014) Adverse drug reactions in some African herbal medicine: literature review and stakeholders interview. Integr Med Res 3:126–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imr.2014.05.001
Van Andel T, Myren B, Onselen V (2012) Ghana’s herbal market. J Ethnopharmacol 140:368–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2012.01.028
Komlaga G, Agyare C, Dickson RA, Mensah MLK, Annan K, Loiseau PM (2015) Medicinal plants and finished marketed herbal products used in the treatment of malaria in the Ashanti region, Ghana. J Ethnopharmacol 4:333–346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2015.06.041
Raman A, Lau C (1996) Anti-diabetic properties and phytochemistry of Momordica charantia L (Cucurbitaceae). Phytomedicine 2:349–362. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0944-7113(96)80080-8
Sharma OP, Sharma S, Pattabhi V, Mahato SB, Sharma PDA (2007) Review of the hepatotoxic plant Lantana camara. Crit Rev Toxicol 37:13–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408440601177863
Oliver-Bever B (1986) Medicinal plants in tropical West Africa. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 240–245. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511753114
Adesegun S, Elechi N, Coker H (2007) Antioxidant power of Macaranga barteri leaf. Agric Biol J N Am 1:265–272. https://doi.org/10.3923/ajft.2007.543.549
Ehilé EH, Goze NB, Kouakou KL, Yapo AP, Ehilé EE (2018) Acute toxicity and gastric anti-ulcer activity of an aqueous extract of the leaves of Macaranga barteri Müll. Arg (Euphorbiaceae) on rat models. J Med Plant Res 12:96–105. https://doi.org/10.5897/JMPR2017.6547
OECD (2001) Guideline for testing of chemicals: acute oral toxicity. Fixed dose procedure. OECD 420:14
EU (2012) Commission implementing decision of 14 november 2012 establishing a common format for the submission of the information pursuant to Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes (notified under document C (2012) 8064) Text with EEA relevance. Special edition in Croatian: Chapter 15 Vol. 028, pp 163–180. https://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2012/707/oj
Zirihi GN (1991) Contribution au recensement, à l’identification et à la connaissance de quelques espèces végétales utilisées en médecine traditionnelle chez les Bété du Département d’Issia, Côte d’Ivoire. Thèse de Doctorat 3e Cycle Faculté des Sciences de l’université d’Abidjan, p 235.
Coles H (1986) Veterinary clinical pathology, 4th edn. W.B. saunders company, Philadelphia, p 486
Islam R, Alam AH, Rahman BM, Salam KA, Hossain A, Baki A, Sadik G (2007) Toxicological studies of two compounds isolated from Loranthus globosus Roxb. Pak J Biol Sci 10:2073–2077. https://doi.org/10.3923/pjbs.2007.2073.2077
SGH (2015) Système général harmonisé de classification et d'étiquetage des produits chimiques. ST/SG/AC.10/30/REV.6, Genève, pp 188–189
Kuriyan R, Raj T, Srinivas SK, Vaz M, Rajendran R, Kurpad AV (2007) Effect of Caralluma Fimbriata extract on appetite, food intake and anthropometry in adult Indian men and women. Appetite 48:338–344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2006.09.013
Wink M (2015) Modes of action of herbal medicines and plant secondary metabolites. Medicines 2:251–286. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines2030251
Menegati SELT, Limab FF, Traeselb GK, Souzab RIC, Carvalho ADS, Aquinob DFS, Oliveirad VS, Vieirae SCH, Cardosoe LAL, Vieirac CM, Oesterreichb AS (2016) Acute and subacute toxicity of the aqueous extract of Alibertia edulis (Rich.) A. Rich. Ex DC. in rats. J Ethnopharmacol 194:1096–1102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2016.11.003
Porwal M, Khan NA, Maheshwari KK (2017) Evaluation of acute and subacute oral toxicity induced by ethanolic extract of Marsdenia tenacissima leaves in experimental rats. Sci Pharm 8:1–11. https://doi.org/10.3390/scipharm85030029
Amresh GR, Singh PN, Rao CV (2008) Toxicological screening of traditional medicine Laghupatha (Cissampelos pareira) in experimental animals. J Ethnopharmacol 116:454–460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2007.12.008
Raina P, Chandrasekaran CV, Deepak M, Aggarwal A, Ruchika K (2015) Evaluation of subacute toxicity of methanolic/aqueous preparation of aerial parts of O. sanctum in Wistar rats: clinical, hematological, biochemical and histopathological studies. J Ethnopharmacol 175:509–517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2015.10.015
Piao Y, Liu Y, Xie X (2013) Change trends of organ weight background data in Sprague dawley rats at different ages. J Toxicol Pathol 26:29–34. https://doi.org/10.1293/tox.26.29
Gbogbo M, Toure A, Kouadio YE, Oussou NJ-B, Kone M, Diby YB, Yapo AP (2018) Toxicity assessment of an aqueous extract of the stem bark of Spondias mombin (Anacardiaceae) in wistar albino rats. Int J Curr Microbiol Appl Sci 7:3625–3635. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2018.701.426
Muthuraman A, Singh N (2012) Acute and sub-acute oral toxicity profile of Acorus calamus (Sweet flag) in rodents. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2:S1017–S1023. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2221-1691(12)60354-2
Arika WM, Nyamai DW, Musila MN, Ngugi MP, Njagi ENM (2016) Hematological markers of in vivo toxicity. J Hematol Thrombo Dis 4:2–7. https://doi.org/10.4172/2329-8790.1000236
Mezui C, Amang A, Mbomo RE, Teukam MM, Lontsi-Nolah MC, Toungainbo Y, Tan P (2019) Acute and subacute toxicity of Oxalis barrelieri (Oxalidaceae) aqueous aerial parts extract. J Adv Biol Biotechnol 22:1–13. https://doi.org/10.9734/jabb/2019/v22i230110
Mezui C, Longo F, Nkenfou C, Sando Z, Ndeme E, Tan PV (2015) Evaluation of acute and subacute toxicity of stem bark aqueous extract of Anthocleista schweinfurthii (Loganiaceae). World J Pharm Pharm Sci 4:197–208
Bonvallot N, Dor F (2002) Analyse des méthodes d’élaboration des valeurs toxicologiques de référence (VTR): environnement. Risques Santé 1:178–183
Ohlsson A, Aher SM (2006) Early erythropoietin for preventing red blood cell transfusion in preterm and/or low birth weight infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd004863.pub2
Awotunde OS, Adewoye SO, Dhanabal PS, Hawumba J (2019) Subacute toxicity study of aqueous root extract of Terminalia schimperiana in male Wistar rats. Toxicol Rep 6:825–832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2019.07.006
WHO (2011) Haemoglobin concentrations for the diagnosis of anaemia and assessment of severity vitamin and mineral nutrition information system. World Health Organization, Geneva, pp 1–5 (WHO/NMH/NHD/MNM/11.1)
Ejere VC, Nnamonu EI, Chukwuka CO, Ugwu GC, Ejim AO, Asogwa CN (2013) Effects of aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces on hematological characteristics of Rattus novergicus. Anim Res Int 10:1809–1816
Dongmo OLM, Epoh NJ, Tadjoua HT, Yousuf S, Telefo PB, Tapondjou LA, Choudhary MI (2019) Acute and sub-acute toxicity of the aqueous extract from the stem bark of Tetrapleura tetrapteura Taub. (Fabaceae) in mice and rats. J Ethnopharmacol 236:42–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2019.02.026
Li J, Xia Y, Kuter DJ (1999) Interaction of thrombopoietin with the platelet complements receptor in plasma: binding, internalization, stability and pharmacokinetics. Br J Hematol 106:345–356. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2141.1999.01571.x
Ugwah-Oguejiofor CJ, Okoli CO, Ugwah MO, Umaru ML, Ogbulie CS, Mshelia HE, Njan AA (2019) Acute and sub-acute toxicity of aqueous extract of aerial parts of Caralluma dalzielii N. E. Brown in mice and rats. Heliyon 5:e01179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e01179
Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to Dr. OUSSOU N’Guessan Jean-Baptiste (Lecturer and Researcher at the Nangui Abrogoua University’s Laboratory of physiology, pharmacology and pharmacopoeia, Côte d’Ivoire) for his invaluable help in translating this manuscript and also, all the staff of the laboratory for their encouragement during these investigations.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interests
The authors have not declared any conflict of interests.
Ethical approval
All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ehilé, E.H., Goze, N.B., Kouakou, K.L. et al. Effects of subacute oral administration of aqueous extract of Macaranga barteri Müll.Arg (Euphorbiaceae) leaf on anthropometric and haematological parameters in rats. Toxicol Res. 37, 135–146 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43188-020-00048-z
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43188-020-00048-z