STUDY ON ACUTE ORAL TOXICITY AND ANTI-HYPERLIPIDEMIC EFFECT OF LEAF EXTRACTS OF VERNONIA AMYGDALINA DEL., ASTERACEAE

Abstract

This study evaluates the acute oral toxicity and anti-hyperlipidemic effect of aqueous and ethanol extract obtained from bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina Del., Asteraceae). Oral acute toxicity of bitter leaf extracts was investigated in male and female Swiss albino mice by monitoring mortality and toxicity within 72 hours. The anti-hyperlipidemic activity of studied extracts were evaluated against elevated total cholesterol, triglycerides level in tyloxapol induced hyperlipidemic mice. Anti-hyperlipidemic drug fenofibrate (50 mg/kg) was used as a positive control. The leaf extracts of bitter leaf were virtually non-toxic (D_max of the ethanol extract was 22 g/kg and LD₅₀ of the aqueous extract was 21.45 g/kg). The ethanol extract showed acute anti-hyperlipidemic effect in the tyloxapol-induced hyperlipidemia model. Particularly, dose 1,000 mg/kg of ethanol extract lowered both triglycerides and total cholesterol level whereas dose 500 mg/kg only lowered triglycerides level compared to tween group. The aqueous extract did not show the anti-hyperlipidemic effect.