Nephrotoxicity and Hepatotoxicity Evaluation in Wistar Albino Rats Exposed to Nauclea latifolia Leaf Extracts

Consumption of the aqueous leaf extract of Nauclea latifolia as anti-malaria concoction without any recourse or regard for its safety is a common practice in the Northern Nigeria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety efficacies of the ingestion of the methanolic leaf extract of this plant on the liver and kidney functions in wistar albino rats. Acute toxicity tests were carried out to determine LD50, while sub-chronic toxicity study was carried out by oral administration of graded doses (200, 400, 800, 1600 and 3200mg/ Kg) of the extract to different groups of rats for 30 days. Both the liver and kidney functions assessed biochemically using standard methods revealed the LD50 of N. latifolia at 3200mg/Kg body weight as being non-lethal. Meanwhile, biochemical and histological results obtained for the liver and kidney function parameters indicated that ingestion of N. latifolia leaf extract has no observable toxic effects on these organs at the tested doses. It was therefore suggested that these results could form the basis for clinical trial in human