Neurohistological Study of Ethanolic Root Bark and Leaf Extracts Of Rauwolfia Vomitoria on Reactive Astrocytes in the Cerebral Cortex of Adult Wistar Rats

Astrocytes are neuroprotective glial cells that protect and nourish neurons of the central nervous systems.  Rauwolfia vomitoria is a common medicinal plant used for the treatment of various diseases such as insanity, insomnia, hypertension, malaria etc. The comparative examination of reactive astrocytes in the cerebral cortex of adult albino wistar rats following the administration of crude ethanolic root bark and leaf extract of Rauwolfia vomitoria was studied using 25 mature Wistar rats of both sexes. The animals were divided into 5 groups, labeled A, B, C, D, and E. Group A was the control, while groups B, C, D, and E were the experimental. Oral doses of 200 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg body weight of the root bark extract were administered to groups B and C animals, while groups D and E animals received 200 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg body weight of the leaf extract respectively for seven days. On the 8th day, the rats were sacrificed; their brains were surgically extracted, and routinely processed for neurohistological study of Astrocytes using Hortegas lithium carbonate method for reactive astrocytes. Results showed hyperplasia of reactive astrocytes in the root bark groups, while there was hypertrophy of reactive astrocytes in the leaf extract groups when compared to the controls. Thus, the plant may have some adverse effects on neurons within the cerebral cortex.