Effect of an Aqueous Extract of Justicia Flava (Forsk) Vahl (Acanthaceae) in Subacute Administration on Some Lipid and Protein Blood Parameters and on Cardiac Tissue

Justicia flava (Forsk) Vahl is one of the many medicinal plants widely used in the daily lives of Ivorian and African populations. Rats were divided into seven groups of 10 animals, each consisting of five males and five females. A control group received distilled water orally at 10 mL/kg bw. Groups 2 to 5 received EAJf orally at doses of 125, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg bw, respectively. Groups 6 (distilled water at 10 mL/kg bw) and 7 (EAJf at 1000 mg/kg bw) were the satellite groups for this experiment. Oral administration of EAJf during the subacute toxicity study showed that the extract is nontoxic. Blood samples were collected at D0, D28 and a third sample was taken 14 days after D28 and the animals’ hearts were weighed and the relative weights were then determined. Approximately 3 mL of blood was collected in dry serum tubes for biochemical analysis using the Culter (RAYTO-RT 7600S; China). The method used for the histochemical test is the paraffin embedding technique. EAJf at doses of pc showed that the relative heart weight of rats did not undergo any significant variation compared to that of rats in the control group. Administration of EAJf did not cause any significant variation in serum levels of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), triglycerides (Trigly) and total cholesterol (Chol T) compared to those of the control group during the entire period of the experiment. Regarding rat heart histology, no damage was observed at the end of the experiment. Finally, subacute oral administration of EAJf was nontoxic to cardiac tissue and some lipid parameters.