Biochemical and haematological changes following an acute toxicity study of a hydro-ethanolic whole plant extract of Synedrella nodiflora (L) Gaertn in male Sprague-Dawley rats

Synedrella nodiflora (L) Gaertn (family Asteraceae), a common weed in Ghana, is traditionally used for the management of epilepsy, hiccup and threatened abortion. To further promote the ethno-pharmacological uses of the plant, an acute toxicity of a hydro-ethanolic whole plant extract was assessed in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The lethal dose (LD 50 ) and effects of a single oral admin-istration of the extract (1600, 3200 and 6400 mg kg -1 ) on haematological and serum biochemical parameters were measured. The extract produced no mortality in the rats treated during a 48-hour examination and after a subsequent 12-day assessment. Thus the LD 50 was indicated as being greater than 6400 mg kg -1 . The extract also did not significantly affect any of the haematological and serum biochemical indices. This result suggests that acute oral administration of the hydro-ethanolic extract of Synedrella nodiflora is virtually non-toxic in male Sprague-Dawley rats under normal laboratory conditions. Keywords: Synedrella nodiflora, acute toxicity, Sprague-Dawley rats, haematology, biochemical analysis