Gastro-duodenal ulcers are diseases that constitute a major public health problem all over the world and particularly in Côte d'Ivoire. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute toxicity and gastric anti-ulcer activity of an aqueous extract of the leaves of Macaranga barteri (AEMb). Acute toxicity was carried out using the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines 420. The anti-ulcer activity of AEMb was evaluated using four models of gastric ulcer induction which are HCl/ethanol solution, ibuprofen solution, pylorus ligation and cold restraint stress in rats. The parameters assessed were mucus production, ulcer surface, ulcer index, pH, acid concentration and volume of gastric contents. Cimetidine, aluminium hydroxide and ranitidine were used as anti-ulcer standard drugs. The results of this preventive gastric anti-ulcer study revealed that for doses ranging from 62.5 to 500 mg/kg body weight (b.w), AEMb dose dependently prevented gastric lesion formation (p<0.001) in the four models. The inhibition values were 98.96, 94.11, 90.73 and 96.89% on ulcerations induced respectively by HCl/ethanol, ibuprofen, pylorus ligation and cold restraint stress at the dose of 500 mg/kg b.w. This cytoprotective action was accompanied by a significant increase in gastric mucus production. These results suggested that the preventive anti-ulcer activity of AEMb may be due to a cytoprotective effect. The median acute toxicity LD 50 value of AEMb was higher than 5000 mg/kg b.w. This extract was classified as nontoxic in the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). Phytochemical compounds such as polyphenols, saponins, alkaloids, sterols and polyterpenes found out in AEMb could be responsible for its effects. In conclusion, the antigastric ulcer and the non-toxic effects of the aqueous extract of M. barteri could justify its use in traditional medicine for the treatment of gastro-duodenal ulcers.

Blighia unijugata is a very widespread forest species in tropical Africa. It is usually used to treat various pathologies including hypertension. This study aims at evaluating the safety use of butanolic fraction of Blighia unijugata leaves (BuF) on some haematological parameters, body weight and relative organ weights in Wistar rats. Twenty-four adult male rats were randomly divided into four groups of six rats each. The control group was repeatedly administered by oral route with distilled water at 10 mL/kg bw for 28 days while test groups 2, 3 and 4 were repeatedly gavaged with BuF extract at 50, 500 and 1000 mg/kg bw respectively. Blood withdrawls were performed at days 7, 14, 21 and 28 using EDTA tubes by ocular puncture from fasted rats previously anesthetized with ether in order to assess BuF extract influence on some haematological parameters. At the end of the twenty-eight days of treatment, rats were weighed and sacrificed. Kidneys, liver, spleen and heart were removed and their relative organ weights were determined. The results showed that BuF extract induced a non-significant decrease (P>0.05) in some haematological parameters such as erythrocytes, haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), leucocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes and significant (P<0.05) in hematocrit and thrombocytes in the treated rats compared to the control group. However, no significant changes (P>0.05) were observed in body weight and the relative organ weights such as heart, liver, kidneys and spleen during this study. This study indicates that butanolic fraction of Blighia unijugata leaves (BuF) administered to rats decreases hematocrit and thrombocyte levels at 50, 500 and 1000 mg/kg bw and is safe for other hematological parameters and body weight in rats.

INTRODUCTIONFor a long time, plants served as first source of drugs for human who used them as therapeutic remedies.1 In this case, more than 50 000 therapeutic species were listed. 2 Medicinal plants constitute the major source of drugs resulting from traditional medicine.3 For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) asserts that people in developing countries who use traditional medicine for their primary health care are estimated at 80% approximately. 4 It is therefore established that medicinal plants play an important role in the fight against the majority of pathologies and are considered harmless to the organism because they are natural. 4,5 However, their empirical use exposes populations to intoxications that ABSTRACT Background: In the framework of the valorization of traditional medicine, the biotolerance study of a hydroethanol 70% extract from trunk bark of Terminalia superba (HE 70%) Engl. and Diels (Combretaceae), a medicinal plant used for the treatment of gastric ulcer in Côte d'Ivoire was carried out by oral administration repeated for 28 days to three rat groups at doses 250, 500 and 750 mg/kg per body weight (b.w.). Methods: Fifty rats were randomly divided in four groups of ten animals including three test groups and one control group. Each group included five male and five female rats. An additional satellite group of ten rats in group treated at high dose (750mg/kg b.w.) was included in order to observe reversibility, persistence or late appearance of toxic effects at least 14 days after stopping the treatment. Three doses were prepared (250; 500 and 750mg/kg b.w.) corresponding to extract concentrations (12.5; 25 and 37.5mg/ml) were given to groups B, C and D respectively. Group A, served as control group, received distilled water at 2ml/kg b.w. Groups B, C and D, received orally HE 70% extract at 250, 500 and 750mg/kg respectively. Serum AST, ALT, total and direct bilirubin, total, HDL, LDL-cholesterols, triglycerides, urea and creatinine were estimated using standard methods. Results:The blood withdrawal analysis done previously (day 0) and at the end of every week on dry tubes revealed that at all weeks and for all doses, this extract do not affect serum values of total and direct bilirubin, creatinine, total, HDL, LDL-cholesterols and triglycerides. Oppositely, this extract reduced significantly (P<0.05) ALT serum rate at the 14 th and 28 th day at 750mg/kg b.w. respectively. In addition, at the 28th day, AST rate decreased significantly (P<0.05) at 750mg/kg b.w. Glycemia showed a significant (P <0.05) reduction at the 28 th day at doses 500 and 750 mg/kg b.w. In contrast, urea increased significantly (P<0.05) at the 28th day at 500mg/kg b.w. Conclusions:This study showed that the use of a hydroethanol 70% extract from trunk bark of T. superba would be hepatoprotective, nontoxic for kidneys, liver and hypoglycemic at the studied doses.

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