Phytochemical Evaluation and Acute Toxicity Study of Ethanol Leaf Extract of Acalypha wilkesiana

Anthony Osamuyi Iyamu; Uwaifoh Akpamu*; Karen Uwarobehi Iyamu

**Anthony Osamuyi Iyamu, Uwaifoh Akpamu* and Karen Uwarobehi Iyamu**

Volume2-Issue8
Dates: Received: 2021-08-23 | Accepted: 2021-08-27 | Published: 2021-08-30
Pages: 715-720

Abstract

Increased curiosity on natural plant products has been raised due to problems of cost, unavailability, and after-effects of countless synthetic drugs. Worrisome, many plant-derived formulations lack phytochemically or toxicological screening. Hence, this study phytochemical and elemental screened the ethanolic leaf extract of Acalypha wilkesiana and as well as determining acute toxicity in adult male Wistar rats. The leaves were obtained in Benin City, Nigeria. Ethanol extraction was carried out on leaves and the extract was subjected to proximate, qualitative, and quantitative phytochemical screening and elemental analysis. Acute toxicity was determined on 12 adult male Wistar rats following Lork’s method. Proximate analysis revealed a high presence of carbohydrate, ash, fiber, and moisture. The qualitative and quantitative evaluation showed the abundance of alkaloids (68.7 ± 0.120%), flavonoids (34.7 ± 0.001%) and minute (<1mg/g) saponins, tannins, phenol, and terpenes. The extract contain nutritive (vitamin E = 1.184 ± 0.055µg/g; vitamin A = 0.0066 ± 0.003µg/g; vitamin C = 0.046 ± 0.037µg/g) and anti-nutritive (oxalates = 229.780 ± 16.93mg/100g; cyanide=0.162 ± 0.006 mg/100g; phytate = 0.131 ± 0.01mg/100g) elements. The elemental evaluation showed an abundance of potassium, sodium, and chloride with traces of cadmium and lead and the absence of manganese and copper. There was no sign of acute toxicity or mortality at an extract dose of 5000mg/kg. These findings indicate the ethanol leaf extract of A. wilkesiana as a rich source of phytochemicals and major macro elements and high safety at 5000mg/kg dose. Considering the several components in the leaves extract, Acalypha wilkesiana leaf might be pharmacological significant for the biological system.

FullText HTML FullText PDF DOI: 10.37871/jbres1302

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How to cite this article

Iyamu AO, Akpamu U, Iyamu KU. Phytochemical Evaluation and Acute Toxicity Study of Ethanol Leaf Extract of Acalypha wilkesiana. J Biomed Res Environ Sci. 2021 Aug 30; 2(8): 715-720. doi: 10.37871/jbres1302, Article ID: JBRES1302, Available at: https://www.jelsciences.com/articles/jbres1302.pdf

Subject area(s)

Biomedicine

Biology

University/Institute

University of Ibadan

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