Biomedical Research

Ether as well as ethanol extracts of Commiphora molmol administered orally to 42 rats at a dose rate of 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg body weight/d for 2 weeks were toxic to laboratory rats. Group 1 was the control which was fed regular diet without the plant extract. Groups 2, 4 and 6 were fed ethanol extract of C. molmol at a dose rate of 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg/body weight/d respectively. Groups 3, 5 and 7 were fed ether extract of C. molmol at a dose rate of 200, 400, 600 mg/kg/body weight/d respectively. The toxic effects were exhibited in all groups by a significant decrease (p<0.05) in the body weights of the experimental rats compared to those weights of the control rats. Experimental animals showed marked depression, abdominal pain, and dyspnoea at their late stages. Haematological changes in rats fed both ether and ethanol extracts of the plant were indicated by significant decrease (p<0.05) in the RBC count as well as in the haemoglobin concentrations while there was significant increase (p<0.05) in the WBC counts. Rats which fed ether extract showed significant decrease in glucose in all groups, cholesterol and triglycerides and a significance increase in bilirubin concentration in experimental animals which fed 400 and 600 mg/body weight/d. Histological changes in experimental rats were observed in the form of fatty change and necrosis of hepatocytes, renal tubular cell degeneration, and shrinkage of the glomeruli.

Author(s): Sawsan A Omer , Amal M Al-Dogmi
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