SUBACUTE TOXICITY AND HAEMATOLOGICAL PROFILES OF THE HYDRO-ETHANOL 70 % EXTRACT OF THE TRUNK BARKS OF TERMINALIA SUPERBA ENGL. AND DIELS (COMBRETACEAE) IN RATS.

The aim of this study was to assess the safety of the hydro-ethanol 70 % extract of the trunk barks of Terminalia superba (HE 70 %) administered orally once daily for 28 days to three groups of albino rats at 250, 500 and 750 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) on haematological parameters and indices. The control group received distilled water while two other satellite groups (control and test group at 750 mg/kg b.w.) were added in order to study the reversibility. Blood was collected into EDTA tubes for haematology at day 0 and at the end of each week. Another 3 ml was collected from the satellite groups, 14 days after the end of the exposure period. These collected blood were used to analyze erythrocytic, leucocytic and thrombocytic profiles. HE 70 % extract does not have an effect on hematocrit, mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), white blood cells (leucocytes), lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes at all studied doses. On the other hand HE 70 % extract induced a significant increase in red blood cells and haemoglobins at the 4th week at 750 mg/kg b.w. and a significant reduction in mean corpuscular volume (MCV). The blood smear observation did not show any significant anomaly. As for the platelets they knew a significant reduction at all studied doses at the 4th week.This extract would be toxic for the platelets. But this toxicity was reversible.