Preliminary Study of the Antiemetic Effect of Garcinia Kola Seed Extract in Young Chicks

The antiemetic effect of ethanol extract of the seed and seed skin of Garcinia kola in young chicks was investigated. Preparation of the seed of Garcinia kola is used in African traditional medicine in treatment of cough and emesis.Standard methods were used for the phytochemical screening of the extracts. Copper sulphate (50 mg/kg) was used to induce emesis in chicks divided into six groups of five chicks each. Different doses of the extracts were tested for their antiemetic properties. These were compared with the effect of a positive control antiemetic drug (Metoclopromide 2mg/kg) and a negative control (normal saline) against copper sulphate induced emesis.The phytochemical screening showed that both the seed and seed skin extracts contained saponins, alkaloids and flavonoids. Emesis was induced by copper sulphate (50mg/kg). The seed extract at 50 and 150 mg/kg produced a percentage inhibition by 71.70 and 75.47% respectively while the seed bark extract at 50 and 150 mg/kg produced a percentage inhibition by 47.16 and 62.27% respectively. Extracts at 50 and 150mg/kg showed a decrease in copper sulphate induced emesis in a dose dependent manner. These results suggest that the ethanol extract of the seed of Garcinia kola and its seed skin have antiemetic properties which provide for the first time the rationale for its use in African traditional medicine in the management of emesis.