Evaluation of the Toxicity of Secondary Metabolites in Aqueous Extracts of Ficus thonningii Blume in Wistar rats

Abstract

Peptic ulcer has become one of the major public health problems that affect about 10% of world’s population. It is a disease resulting from an imbalance between gastro protective and aggressive factors of the gastric mucosa. The treatment of this disease is usually long, expensive and also the difficulty in accessibility to modern medications to the local population in rural zones. This makes poor patients in the community to rely on traditional herbal medicine to address their health problems. F. thonningii Blume is a tree used by the population of the West Region of Cameroon to treat gastric ulcers. The objective of this study was to assess the toxicity of the major classes of secondary metabolites present in extracts of F. thonningii Blume in Wistar rats. The experimental model used to induce the gastric ulcers was absolute ethanol 100%. Thirty rats represented in six groups: one group without treatment, three pretreated groups with the extract (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg), a group receiving a pretreatment with the omeprazole (20 mg/kg) and another receiving a pretreatment with distilled water. We evaluated acute toxicity by applying the 420 OECD guidelines on 20 rats. Various biochemical parameters for toxicity such as the: Aspartate Amino Transferase (ASAT), Aspartate Amino Transferase (ALAT), Creatinine, XO, total proteins, was quantified. The administration of 2000 mg/kg extract to rats did not cause the death of animals and no modification of animal behaviour, increase dose dependence in body weight, water intake was observed. The administration of 2000 mg/kg extract to rats was well tolerated and there was no death. Targeted organ toxicity indicated positive effect in the liver (ASAT and ALAT) but negative effects in the kidneys (creatinine). The results of the liver functions tests showed that the conjugating ability of the liver was intact and there was no hepatocellular damage induced by the administration of the F. thonningii stem bark extract, as revealed by the low levels of ASAT and ALAT, hence showing that this plant had a hepatic-protective effect on the liver.