Toxicity of Aqueous Extract of Senna alexandrina Miller Pods on Newzealand Rabbits

Aims: The herbal extract of Senna alexandrina pods is used commonly to treat constipation. The study was designed to evaluate the effect of oral administration of aqueous extract of S. alexandrina pods at varying doses on Newzealand rabbits for 2 and 4 weeks.
Study Design: Biochemical and cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Botany Department, Faculty of Science and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Science, University of Khartoum.
Methodology: Rabbits of either sex were divided into four groups of 8 animals each. Group I served as control and groups II, III and IV were orally treated with doses of 50, 100 and 300 mg/kg body weight for up to 4 weeks. Toxicity was evaluated using biochemical, hematological and histopathological assays.
Results: No significant pathological changes were observed in rabbits given a dose of 50 mg/kg/day. However, at higher doses alterations in the levels of blood haematological parameters, transaminases, creatinine, albumin and globulin were observed; such changes are likely to occur due to spleen, hepatic and renal injury, which was confirmed by histopathological analysis.
Conclusion: The data suggest that administration of the aqueous extract of S. alexandrina pods at 50 mg/kg/day is not toxic. The observed toxic effect might be due to higher doses and/or frequency of administration. Although in traditional medicine the extract is administrated at a low dose, the results suggest the necessity of standardization of the drug.