Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the histopathological effects of Maerua Pseudopetalosa ethyl acetate and ethanol tuber extracts on the liver and heart of Wistar rats. The extracts were administered at 50, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight for one week. Daily oral dose of 500 mg/kg body weight of the ethanol extract lead to six spontaneous mortalities; three in the second day of dosing and the other three at day six. Liver sections of rats given the ethanolic extract at a concentration of 50 mg/kg body weight (bw) showed loss of hepatocyte nuclei, nuclear pyknosis and in some cells cytoplasmic acidophilia. Increasing the concentration to 250 mg/kg bw was associated with dilated blood vessels and hepatic sinusoids. Rats receiving the ethyl acetate extract at a concentration of 50 mg/kg bw exhibited variations in the size of hepatocyte nuclei and karyolysis in some cases while the 250 mg/kg bw dose caused only slight sinusoidal dilation. Cytoplasmic vacuolation and dilated sinusoids were seen in liver sections of rats giventhe 500 mg/kg bw dose of the ethyl acetate extract. The heart sections of rats treated with 50 mg/kg bw and 250 mg/kg bw of the ethanol extract showed almost normal appearances but pale staining and elongated muscle nuclei were observed in some sections. The heart sections of the rats treated with 50 mg/kg bw of the ethyl acetate extract showed separation of muscles; some myocytesexhibited slight fragmentation and others had deepeosinophilic staining. Separation of heart muscles and increased interstitial cells were seen in heart sections of rats treated with 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg bw, respectively.

Keywords:

Ethyl acetate extract, ethanolic extract, histopathology, maerua pseudopetalosa, sudan, tubers, wistar rat,

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