Voacanga africana stapf
(Apocynaceae) leaves is being used in herbal
medicine to treat leprosy, diarrhoea, generalized oedema and convulsion in children as an
infant tonic and the present study was aimed at its toxicological evaluation in wistar rats.
The sub-acute toxicity was evaluated after administering daily oral doses of
Voacanga
Africana stapf (100, 400 and 800 mg/kg) for 28 days after which the effect on
anthropometric, haematological and histopathological parameters were assessed. There
was a significant reduction (p<0.05) in the pattern of weight gain in the female albino rats
and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) but no significant difference in the organ weight index in
all selected organs. There were no gross abnormalities or histopathological changes
observed among any the groups treated. The results suggest that the aqueous leaf extract of
Voacanga africana can be considered relatively safe on chronic administration to rats and
may cause reduction in weight gain in female rats probably due to changes in female
hormones.
