Pharmacokinetics study of ethyl acetate extract of cylicodiscus gabunensis (mimosaceae) after oral administration and its effect on the eradication of shigella dysenteriae infection on rats

Cylicodiscus gabunensis (CG) is a tropical plant traditionally known for its medicinal use. The plant has also been investigated for a number of pharmacological activities. However kinetic studies are lacking for this. Hence to better elucidate the effects of the body on this plant preparation, this study was planned. Sixty Wistar albino rats were giving orally a single dose of 500 mg/kg of plant extract. Blood samples were then collected in EDTA coated tubes prior to plant extract administration and at 10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320, 640, 960 and 1280 minutes after. Plasma obtained was analyzed to measure concentration of plant extract using its anti-shigellosis properties. Various kinetic parameters were then calculated from the plasma concentrations. For the in vivo anti-shigellosis activity of the plant extract, a suspension of Shigella dysenteriae type I (sd1) was orally administered to thirty rats. The diarrheic rats were then divided into the control group and four others received 125, 250, 500 mg/kg of the plant extract and ciprofloxacin (20 mg/kg) respectively for 7 days. The frequency and weight of normal and diarrheic faeces emitted was recorded. The presence of stools containing mucus or blood and the number of sd1 in faeces were also recorded. The peak plasma levels (81.937 mg/ml) of CG were reached at 10.66 h. The concentration declined with a mean elimination half life of 6.61 ± 0.97 h. The AUC0-∞ was 1367.7 mg h/ml. CG reduces the frequency faeces released and sd1 density from 100% (diarrheic rats) to 50.79 and 45.33% (500 mg/kg) respectively. We concluded that CG extract is effectively absorbed though the intestinal wall. The elimination half life suggests that the drug needs to be given orally at the interval of seven hours. These parameters provide a baseline for the further exploration of what the body does to the drug and justify the pharmacodynamic correlation.