Evaluation of Cardiac Histological Alterations Induced by Graded Doses of Ethanolic Extract of Baphia nitida (Abosi) in Adult Male Wistar Rats.

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the histological effects of graded doses of ethanolic extract of Baphia nitida leaves on the heart of adult male Wistar rats following oral administration.
Study Design: Twenty-five adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into five groups (n=5). Group A served as the control and received normal feed only, Group B received 100 mg/kg Baphia nitida only, Group C received 200 mg/kg ethanolic extract of Baphia nitida, Group D received 300 mg/kg ethanolic extract of Baphia nitida, while Group E received 400 mg/kg ethanolic extract of Baphia nitida.
Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out at the Department of Human Anatomy, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State, Nigeria.
Methodology: Fresh leaves of Baphia nitida were harvested from Igbariam Campus and authenticated at the Herbarium Unit, Department of Botany, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State. The leaves were air-dried at room temperature and ground into coarse powder using a laboratory mill. Eight hundred grams (800 g) of the powdered leaves were macerated in 4 litres of ethanol for 48 hours using a mechanical shaker. Administration of the extract was carried out orally for twenty-one (21) consecutive days. Twenty-four hours after the last administration, the animals were anaesthetized with chloroform and sacrificed using the Ignasia method. The hearts were harvested, weighed, rinsed in normal saline, and fixed in 10% formalin for histological analysis. Data obtained were analyzed using ANOVA followed by post hoc LSD test, while body weight analysis was carried out using Student’s dependent t-test. Acute toxicity study (LD50) of the extract was also conducted using thirteen rats through oral administration.
Results: Histological examination of the heart revealed mild to moderate myocardial inflammation, mild areas of hemorrhage, mild congestion of blood vessels, and evidence of tissue regeneration in treated groups. There were also alterations in selected cardiac parameters across the treatment groups when compared with the control group. The observed histological changes were more pronounced at higher doses of the extract.
Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that ethanolic extract of Baphia nitida possesses relatively low acute toxicity but may induce mild dose-dependent histological alterations in cardiac tissues following prolonged administration. Although severe myocardial degeneration was not observed, continuous or excessive consumption of the extract may predispose cardiac tissues to subtle inflammatory and vascular changes.