Adewale Adetutu, AO Ogundare, AO Odeleye , Owolabi OQ and AA Adesokan
Keywords: Pyrenacantha staudtii Engl., antibacterial, histological, haematological parameter, toxicological effect.
Abstract: Despite the widespread use of Pyrenacantha staudtii Engl. In the traditional medicine of Nigeria, there is scanty of information on its efficacy and toxicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity against the growth of some pathogenic microorganisms and toxicological effects of methanolic extract of the plants in male Wistar albino rats. Phytochemical screening indicated that the extract is rich in alkaloid, tannin, saponins, while anthraquinones, phlobatannins and cardiac glycosides were absent. The histological and heamatological investigations on liver, duodenum and blood samples of the rats that were administered with the extract (acute doses of 30mg/ml and 25mg/ml) showed mild toxicities. However, the control experiment that was given normal saline presented no toxicities on the liver and duodenum cells. The extracts inhibited the growth of Bacillus cereus, Escherichia. coli and Staphylococcus aureus while Shigella dysentriae and Salmonella typhi were resistant to the extract at both concentrations. This is an indication that the extracts may not be completely safe in male rats when continuously administered for 14 days.
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