Acute and Chronic Toxicity Studies of Ethanol Leaf Extract of Merremia Tridentata (Linn) Hallier F

The acute and chronic toxicity evaluation of Ethanol leaf extract of Merremia tridentata (Linn) Halier F. (MTELE) was carried out on albino wistar rats. Phytochemical screening and acute toxicity profile of the extract were determined using standard methods. The animals were assigned into groups and administered varying doses of MTELE (100, 200, 400 mg/kg body weight and 0.2 ml of distilled water) for a period of hundred days (fourteen weeks). The body weight, relative organ weight, haematology, serum biochemical indices and histopathological studies of the liver, kidney, spleen, heart, and lungs were appropriately carried out to determine propensity of possible toxicity. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, cardiac glycosides, saponins, steroids, triterpenes, flavonoids while anthraquinone and cyanogenic glycosides were absent. The median lethal dose LD50 was estimated as 2200 mg/kg body weight. There was significant (p 0.05) in all the parameters evaluated indicating safety at this dosage. Ethanol leaf extract of Merremia tridentata (Linn) Halier F. (MTELE) may not be safe at chronic administration even at dosage as low as 200 mg/kg body weight. The plant should be cautiously employed to avoid unwarranted complication on long term administration.