TOXICITY PROFILING REVEALED BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF THE ETHANOL STEM BARK EXTRACT OF ADANSONIA DIGITATA(MALVACEAE) AT LOW DOSE

Background: The increasing patronage of Adansonia digitatafor medicinaland cosmeticsvalues makes it a potential source of indiscriminate uses. This studyaimsat establishing the toxicity potential of the ethanol stem bark extract with a view to providing scientific evidence for the safe use of the plant. Materials and Methods: The stem bark of Adansonia digitatawas identified, collected, dry, milled to powder, extracted in absolute ethanol, filtered and concentrated in vacuowith rotary evaporator at 45oC. The oral median lethal dose (LD50)was determined using Lorke‘s method. Male and female rats (100 –140 g) were used in this study. Toxicity effects on haematological and plasma biochemical indices, as well as histopathological effect in the selected organs was done usingsingle (1000, 3000 and 5000 mg/kg) and repeated dose (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg) toxicity profiling, and in silicotoxicity profiling of its selected phytoconstituents. Results: The oral LD50was greater than 5000 mg/kg, suggesting non-toxic potential. Our results show varying degree of significant alterations in heamatological, biochemical and histopathological indices following single and repeated doses. These alterations were dose and sex dependent,more pronounced at doses ≥ 1000 mg/kgand correlated well with in silicotoxicity profiling. Though some of the phytoconsituents were predicted to show some elements of toxic potentials,ourin silicotoxicity profiling revealed that none has potential formutagenicity, genotoxicity, nor inhibit major P450 cytochromeenzymes.Conclusion: The study concluded that the extract may be more beneficial at lower repeated doses than high doses with toxic potential