Acute Toxicity Effect of the Aqueous Extract of Terminalia avicennioides on White Albino Rats

Lorke’s method was used to study the acute toxicity effect of aqueous extracts from the stem bark of Terminalia avicennioides (ATA) on white albino rats. The study involved intraperitoneal administration of different doses of the extract to groups of male rats. Signs accompanying toxicity and possible death of animals were monitored for two weeks to ascertain the median lethal dose (LD50) of the extract. At the end of the two week study, all the animals in all the dose groups were sacrificed and the mean internal organ-body weight ratios (OBR) were determined and compared with values from those of the control group. The LD50 was found to be > 5000 mg/Kg body weight. There was no significant weight decrease (P>0.05) among dose groups up to 1000 mg/Kg body weight. Liver congestion was observed with 100 mg/kg body weight dose group. The OBR mean values for Kidney, liver and heart were not significantly (P>0.05) different from that of the control group. The safety usage of extracts from this plant in traditional medicine vis-à-vis phytochemical consideration is discussed.Key words: Acute toxicity, Terminalia avicennioides, Albino Rats, Traditional medicine