EFFECTS OF PETROLEUM ETHER, ETHANOL AND AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF INDIGOFERA CAPITATA ON OEDEMA INDUCED ACTIVITY OF NAJA NIGRICOLLIS VENOM IN ENVENOMED RATS

Abstract

The growing demand for herbal products has led to high increase of plant material traded across the world. Indigofera species provide some of these plants’ materials. Indigofera capitata is a plant of the family Fabaceae. The acute toxicity and effects pet.ether, ethanol and aqueous extracts of the plant were carried out in albino rats. The results of acute toxicity studied revealed that pet.ether, ethanol and aqueous extracts had LD50 values of 774.6, 1131.4 and 3807.8mg/kg respectively. These helped to determine the safeness and dosage used for in vivo activity of each extract. The results of the effects of the extracts indicated all the plant extracts had significant (p<0.05) and dose-dependent Oedema forming activity against LD99 Naja nigricollis envenomed rats. Highest reduction in edema forming activity of the extract are shown at dose of 300mg/kg(ethanol) and 1000mg/kg (aqueous) with lowest edema forming activity of 108.00±1.90 and 102.00±1.90 (% mm) respectively compared with the positive control group. The finding revealed that the plant can be used for treatment of snake bite more especially Naja nigricollis bite.