Journal of Medicinal Plant Research Vol. 1 (2), 030- 033, September 2007          
© 2007 Academic Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Biochemical and toxicological studies of aqueous extract of Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) leaves in wister albino rats.

Oyewole, I. O¹., Magaji, Z. J². and Awoyinka, O. A³.

^{1, 3}Department of Basic and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology Babcock  University, Ilisan Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria.

²College of Medical Sciences, University of Jos, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author: E-mail: oawoyinka@babcockuni.edu.ng  or woyinka@yahoo.com   

Accepted 22 August, 2007

The effects of aqueous extracts of Tithonia diversifolia leaves on some biochemical indices such as body weight, blood parameters and liver functions were investigated in albino male wister rats. The safe dosage of the aqueous extract of T. diversifolia leaves were daily injected intraperitoneally (P≤0.05) to a group of Wister strain rats over a period of 7 and 14 days respectively. During these periods the daily body weights of the control and treated rats showed significant difference (P≤0.05). Also, the differences in the WBC and PCV values between the two groups were statistically significant (P≤0.05). The serum level of glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) increased significantly (P≤0.05) in the experimental group while that of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) did not show any significant change (P≤0.05) compared to the control animals. The study showed that the aqueous extract of T. diversifolia even at a safe dose affects the liver functions index, and some haematological parameters. 

Key words: T. diversifolia, Maximum Tolerated Dosage (MTD), Lethal Dosage (LD₅₀).