Ashafa Anofi Omotayo Tom, Orekoya Latifat Olubukola, Yakubu Musa Toyin
Department of Plant Sciences, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa campus, South Africa.
Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2012 Oct;2(10):811-7. doi: 10.1016/S2221-1691(12)60234-2.
To investigate the toxic implications of ethanolic stem bark extract of Azadirachta indica (A. indica) at 50, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight in Wistar rats.
Fifty male rats of Wistar strains were randomly grouped into five (A-E) of ten animals each. Animals in Group A (control) were orally administered 1 mL of distilled water on daily basis for 21 days while those in Groups B-E received same volume of the extract corresponding to 50, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight.
The extract did not significantly (P>0.05) alter the levels of albumin, total protein, red blood cells and factors relating to it whereas the white blood cell, platelets, serum triacylglycerol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased significantly (P<0.05). In contrast, the final body weights, absolute weights of the liver, kidney, lungs and heart as well as their organ-body weight ratios, serum globulins, total and conjugated bilirubin, serum cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and computed atherogenic index increased significantly. The spleen-body weight ratio, alkaline phosphatase, alanine and aspartate transaminases, sodium, potassium, calcium, feed and water intake were altered at specific doses.
Overall, the alterations in the biochemical parameters of toxicity have consequential effects on the normal functioning of the organs of the animals. Therefore, the ethanolic extract of A. indica stem bark at the doses of 50, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight may not be completely safe as an oral remedy and should be taken with caution if absolutely necessary.
研究印楝（Azadirachta indica）茎皮乙醇提取物在50、100、200和300mg/kg体重剂量下对Wistar大鼠的毒性影响。
将50只雄性Wistar品系大鼠随机分为五组（A - E组），每组10只。A组（对照组）大鼠每天口服1mL蒸馏水，持续21天；而B - E组大鼠接受相同体积、对应50、100、200和300mg/kg体重的提取物。
提取物对白蛋白、总蛋白、红细胞及其相关因子水平无显著影响（P>0.05），而白细胞、血小板、血清甘油三酯和高密度脂蛋白胆固醇显著降低（P<0.05）。相反，最终体重、肝脏、肾脏、肺和心脏的绝对重量及其器官 - 体重比、血清球蛋白、总胆红素和结合胆红素、血清胆固醇、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇以及计算得出的动脉粥样硬化指数显著增加。特定剂量下脾脏 - 体重比、碱性磷酸酶、丙氨酸和天冬氨酸转氨酶、钠、钾、钙、饲料和水摄入量发生改变。
总体而言，毒性生化参数的改变对动物器官的正常功能有相应影响。因此，印楝茎皮乙醇提取物在50、100、200和300mg/kg体重剂量下作为口服药物可能不完全安全，如有绝对必要应谨慎使用。
