ACUTE TOXICITY STUDIES AND PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF THE BARK OF STEMS AND THE LEAVES OF ERYTHROXYLUM EMARGINATUM (ERYTHROXYLACEAE)

Kouakou Kouakou Victor*, Okpekon Aboua Timothee, Kpaibe Sawa Andre Philippe, Yapi Houphouet Felix and Gbassi Komenan Gildas

ABSTRACT

Erythroxylum emarginatum is a plant used by the population to relieve the pains during arthritis and asthma. In this study we realized the phytochemical screening of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the bark of stems and the leaves of Erythroxylum emarginatum (Erythroxylaceae) and we studied the general acute toxicity of aqueous and ethanolic of the bark of stems of this plant on Wistar strain rats. We realized chromatographic on thin layer (TLC) to confirm the results of phytochemical screening. The aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the bark of stems and the leaves of this Erythroxylum emarginatum revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, leuco-anthocyanins, polyphenols, polyterpenes, sterols, tannins (catechic and Gallic) and quinones. The presence of these biocompounds was confirmed by TLC. The study of general acute toxicity evaluated on the wistar strain rats, showed that the lethal dose 100 (LD100) situated between [2000; 5000 [mg / kg body weight, the lethal dose 50 (LD50) situated between [300; 2000 [mg / kg body weight and maximal dose tolerated (MDT) was 300 mg / Kg body weight for the aqueous and ethanolic extracts. According to these results the aqueous extract was toxic and the ethanolic extract was weakly toxic.

Keywords: Erythroxylum emarginatum, inflammation, phytochemical, lethal dose.