Acute and sub-acute toxicity of ethanolic extract of Canthium mannii Hiern stem bark on Mus musculus.

Acute and sub-acute toxicity of ethanolic extract (ETE) of C. mannii was assessed on white mice (Mus musculus). After 48 h of extract administration, no death was registered. It was deduced that the LD50 was indisputably higher than 16 g/kg body weight. The sub-acute toxicity test was based on the daily administration of three doses of ETE (300, 600 and 1200 mg/kg body weight) for four weeks; 1% DMSO served as negative control. As for the first experiment, no sign of toxicity was registered. Conversely, the sub acute doses stimulated and increased the weight-rate of mice after 7 days of treatment. Except for the spleen weight, the doses administrated did not modify the weight index. It was observed that, subacute doses induced and increased (a) the food (particularly) and water consumption according to time and (b) the number of red and white blood cells. It was thought that, ETE can stimulate the haematopoietic function. Finally, no time variation of the activity of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase enzyme was observed in the serum of euthanized mice. The results showed the innocuity of ETE of C. mannii and thus validated his utilization in cameroonian traditional pharmacopoea.