Phytochemical Screening, Anthelminthic and Acute Toxicity Determination of Annona Senegalensis Pers. (Annonaceae) Leaf and Stembark Methanol Extracts

Cletus Ukwubile, A.^1*, Jude Odugu, A.² & Mathias Bingari, S.³

¹Medicinal Plants Research Laboratory, Central Academic Center / Sancta Maria Clinic Integrated Laboratory Bali, Taraba State, Nigeria.
²Department of Medical Microbiology Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
³Department of Biological Sciences, Taraba State University Jalingo, Nigeria.

Cletus Ukwubile, A., Researcher FPB, Department of Molecular Biology, Sancta Maria Clinic Integrated Laboratory Bali, Nigeria.

Keywords: Phytochemical; Anthelminthic; Acute Toxicity; Earthworms; Annona Senegalensis

Abstract

In this study, LD50 (Acute toxicity) values of methanol extract of leaves and stembarks of Annona senegalensis was determined using the methods of Lorke’s (1983) as well as phytoconstituents and anthelminthic activity of the leaf and stembark extracts. Dried powdered leaves and stembark of A. senegalensis were extracted using methanol as the solvent. Phytochemical screening of the two parts revealed mainly glycosides and alkaloids. Acute toxicity (LD50¬) test was performed with the leaf and stembark extracts at doses of 10, 100, 1000 mg/kg b.w (body weight) in phase I and 1600, 2900 and 5000 mg/kg b.w in phase II, administered to the mice i.p (intra-peritoneal). The animals were grouped into three groups of 3 mice per group in phases I and three groups of one mouse per group in phase II. They were observed for behavioural changes and mortality for one week. There were decreases in the body weights of the mice administered with leaf and stembark extract as the doses increased but no mortality was recorded in phase I up to 1000 mg/kg b.w. In phase II, there was no mortality up to the dose of 5000 mg/kg b.w. Anthelminthic activity of the plant was displayed greatly in dose-dependent fashion with shorter time of paralysis and time of death in stembark extract than in leaf extract against earthworms. This result was compared with a standard anthelminthic drug Piperazine citrate at p ? 0.05 (one-way ANOVA). The result showed that the leaf and stembark extracts of A. senegalensis are very safe at the doses investigated and justifies its use as an oral medication in traditional medicine as an anthelminthic agent or worm expeller.

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