Abstract

In an attempt to scientifically evaluate the mechanism of action of anti-inflammatory effects of Sida acuta and Crotalaria pallida var obovata which are medicinal plants used by the traditionalists, the present study was carried out to investigate the cell membrane stabilizing activities of methanolic extracts of the plants on rat red blood cell at five different concentrations; 1mg/ml, 2mg/ml, 4mg/ml, 6mg/ml and 8mg/ml. Indomethacin 0.10mg/ml was used as standard reference cell membrane stabilizing agent for comparison. Red blood cell of Wistar strain albino rats in hypotonic saline was used for the study.  Also, the toxicity of the two plants in rats was investigated by treating the animals orally with the extracts for 28 days after which their serum biochemical profiles were analysed. The extractives inhibited hypotonic- induced haemolysis of erythrocytes in vitro; the methanolic extract of Sida acuta leaves demonstrated 30.6%, 34.7%, 37.5%, 44.4% and 41.7% inhibition while Crotalaria pallida var obovata demonstrated 16.7%, 19.4%, 36.1%, 30.6%, and 31.9% inhibition against 1mg/ml, 2mg/ml, 4mg/ml, 6mg/ml and 8mg/ml respectively, and the inhibition is in dose-dependent manner. The rats administered with Crotalaria pallida var obovata extract showed significant changes of an increase in aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transferase activities, decrease in total protein, and albumin levels while Sida acuta showed no changes. From these results, it can be suggested that the anti-inflammatory activities of these plants may be due to their membrane stabilizing effects, Crotalaria pallida var obovata is toxic to the rats at the dose-levels used.

Keywords

Sida acuta, Crotalaria, Erythrocytes, Haemolysis, Membrane, Toxicity

Cite This Article

Gbenga, M.O., Mofoluso, A.O., & Manzir, A. (2015). Cell Membrane Stabilizing Effect and Serum Biochemical Analysis of Rats Treated with Methanolic Leaf Extracts of Sida acuta and Crotalaria pallida var obovata, International Journal for Pharmaceutical Research Scholars (IJPRS), 4(1), 99-107.