ABSTRACT
Background and Aim: Ajumbise is a polyherbal formulation used in Southeast Nigeria for enhancing labour, facilitating the expulsion of retained placenta, relieving menstrual and post-delivery pains and promoting involution of the uterus. In this study, the effect of the Polyherbal formulation on body weights, relative organ weights and liver and kidney histology was evaluated.Methods: Forty rats were divided into four groups of ten rats each and were assigned daily oral administration of the extract for 28 days. While group 1 served as the control, groups 2, 3 and 4 were administered increasing doses of the extract. At the end of treatment organs were collected for histological analysis respectively. Students’s t-test at 95% level of significance was used for statistical analysis.Results: Acute toxicity study result indicated zero mortality in all groups within the 24 hours of thestudy, even at a dose of 6000 mg/kg body weight. Body weight gain was significantly lowered in all treatment groups when compared with the control group (P<0.05). Relative liver weight did not significantly differ from that of the control except for the 800 mg/kg treated group where significant elevation was observed (P< 0.05). Relative kidney weights was significantly elevated in groups treated with 200 and 400 mg/kg (P<0.05). No significant histological changes were observed between treatment groups and control except for 800 mg/kg treated group where some inflammatory cells were observed masking the features of the portal triad. The arrangement of the hepatocytes, architecture of the portal triad comprising of the bile duct, hepatic portal vein and hepatic artery and central vein were essentially normal and had neither congestions nor necrosis. Histological presentations of the kidneys in all groups were normal and did not significantly differ from control.Conclusion: We therefore conclude that Ajumbise polyherbal may be safe at low to moderate dosses and at such doses does not pose any threat to the liver and kidney cells.
ABSTRACT
Aims: Acute changes in the blood glucose concentration have a substantial effect on intestinal motility in both diabetic and healthy subjects. This research work was therefore designed to assess the effect of DM on GIT motor activity and the impact of treatment with OG on same. Methodology: The phytoconstituents and median lethal dose of the plant extract was determined before administration. Eighteen rats were used; the animals were divided into three groups of six rats each. Group 1 served as the control which was fed with normal feed. Group 2 was diabetic untreated rats (DM) while group 3 was OG treated diabetic rats (DMT). At the end of 28 days, the intestinal transit and motility were determined using graded doses of acetylcholine, adrenaline and atropine. Results: The DMT intestine showed greater increase in contraction with increase in concentration of acetylcholine, application of adrenaline showed that the ileum of the DMT had a significantly lower (P=.001) percentage change in relaxation when compared to control or DM groups but there was no significant difference between DM and control group. While atropine caused a significant increase (P=.001) in percentage change in relaxation in the DMT group when compared to control and DM groups. There was no significant difference between the DM and control group. DM and the DMT groups had significantly higher (P=.05) percentage transit than the control group. There were no significant differences between DM and DMT groups. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that impaired intestinal motor activity in type I STZ-induced diabetic rats is enhanced by treatment with OG, this may be possibly due to its hypoglycemic effect and its concomitant impact on related biochemical and neuroendocrine interplay that affect GI motor function.