Evaluation of Histomorphological, Toxicological and Antimicrobial Activities of Ethanolic Extract of Calliandra portoricensis Root in Rodents

Objective: To evaluate histomorphological, toxicological and antimicrobial activities of ethanolic extract of Calliandra portoricensis root in rodents.

Introduction: C. portoricensis is usually administered for a lengthy period in treating diseases like dysmenorrheal, rheumatism and convulsion.

Methods: Microbial purity was evaluated on some bacterial and fungal organisms. Toxicity of the extract was evaluated in Swiss albino mice by administering graded oral doses of the extract from 1.0 to 20.0 g/kg body weight (bwt). Wistar rats were fed different doses of the extract for 30 days to evaluate their biochemical profiles while vital organs were processed for histology.

Results: Extract inhibited Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus pneumonia ATCC 49619 organisms at 150, 300 and 600 mg/ml with the inhibitory diameters of 13.0, 14.0 and 16.0 mm for E. faecalis and 10.0, 11.0 and 13.0 mm for S. pneumonia. Median acute toxicity (LD50) was 5.0 g/kg bwt. Significant increase (p≤ 0.05) in aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase occurred while hepatic tissue morphology showed sinusoidal and portal congestions. Also significant increase (p≤ 0.05) in the plasma creatinine and urea occurred.

Conclusion: C. portoricensis showed to be an effective antibacterial agent and exhibited no toxic effect at normal dose. However administration above the recommended dose might be injurious to the liver.