Chronic toxicity assessment of crude ethanolic extract of Wissadula periplocifolia (L.) C. Presl. leaves in albino Wistar rats

Abstract

Wissadula periplocifolia (L.) C. Presl. is a medicinal plant widely distributed in USA, but it has not yet been investigated extensively. Some pharmacochemical studies were performed at the Federal University of Paraiba, and the components of the crude ethanolic extract were identified; one of them was a tiliroside, which has already been shown to have excellent anti-inflammatory activity that can inhibit the arachidonic acid cascade and can inhibit the release of prostaglandins, prostacyclins, and leukotrienes from leukocytes and neutrophils. This study aimed to verify the possible long-term toxicity of this plant. Chronic toxicity tests were performed, including all recommended parameters; Wistar rats of both sexes were treated with 3 doses of the ethanolic extract of W. periplocifolia (L.) C. Presl leaves, and 2 satellite groups and a control group were set. The platelet and white blood cell counts for all treated males were higher than those in the controls. The anatomopathological tests did not reveal any alterations which were consistent with those obtained from the biochemical tests.