PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF POLYHERBAL FORMULATION ON ALBINO WISTAR RATS

Most herbal medicines lack appropriate dosages. Contrary to beliefs, some of these herbal plants are toxic, with a high risk of adverse effects. This study used experimental animals to evaluate the possible toxicological effects of a polyherbal formulation (PHF) on the liver, kidney, and haematopoietic cells. Twenty-five (25) male albino Wistar rats weighing 120-150g were divided into 5 groups of 5 animals each, according to their body weight (x+20g). For four weeks, Groups A, B, and C received a daily administration of 884, 1760, and 3535mg/kg of PHF, respectively, while Groups D and E (controls) received ethanol and normal rat chow, respectively. The concentrations and activities of creatinine, urea, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate, and alanine aminotransferase (ALP, AST, ALT) and total bilirubin were estimated in the serum. A full blood count was done using whole blood. The acute toxicity tests study showed that the PHF had an oral LD50 > 800mg/kg in the rats. Phytochemical studies revealed the presence of a moderate amount of tannins, steroids, flavonoids, and an abundant amount of reducing sugars and carbohydrates. A significant difference was observed in ALP, AST, and ALT of groups that received PHF and ethanol group (p<0.05) with no significant difference in total bilirubin. No significant changes were observed in the serum creatinine and urea of any group. Haematological studies showed no significant difference except for mean cell volume (MCV) and neutrophils of Groups B and A. Histopathological examination showed histological alterations on the liver but not on the kidney. The PHF had considerable toxic effects on the animals.