Article

Effects of rauvolfia vomitoria on the cerebellar histology, body and brain weights of albino wistar rats

Authors:
To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the authors.

Abstract

Abstract Background: Rauvolfia vomitoria is a medicinal plant used in the treatment of hypertension and mental disorders. The effects of the ethanolic root bark extract of R. vomitoria were determined in this study. Materials and Methods: Eighteen male and female young albino Wistar rats weighing 100–160 g were randomly assigned to three Groups 1, 2, and 3 of 6 rats each. The control (Group 1) received 0.1 ml of 20% solution of Tween 80, while Groups 2 and 3 received 200 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg of the root bark extract of R. vomitoria, respectively, for 14 days. The rats were sacrificed on the 15th day; the cerebellum of each rat was harvested, processed, and then stained using the hematoxylin and eosin method and immunohistochemical staining technique for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Results: The results showed swelling and atrophy of Purkinje cells, proliferation of reactive astrocytes and increased expression of GFAP, a significant reduction in the body weight of experimental animals, but no difference in brain weight compared with the control. Conclusion: The ethanolic root bark extract of R. vomitoria has a deleterious effect on the cerebellum and body weight of young albino Wistar rats but does not affect brain weight. Keywords: Body weight, brain weight, cerebellum, Purkinje cells, Rauvolfia vomitoria

No full-text available

Request Full-text Paper PDF

To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.

... Extensive studies on the chemical analysis of R. vomitoria revealed that it contains alkaloids, steroids, tannins, terpenes, cardiac glycosides, carbohydrates, flavonoids and saponins (Amole, Yemitan, & Oshikoya, 2009;Aquaisua et al., 2017). Rauvolfia vomitoria is cited for its therapeutic effects for the treatment of various types of body ailments such as malaria, cancer, convulsion, anxiety and hypertension among others (Amole et al., 2009;Bemis, Capodice, Gorroochurn, Katz, & Buttyan, 2006). ...
... This result is in line with the previous findings which show nonsignificant changes in rat's body weight after administration of the ethanol extract of R. vomitoria(Eteng, Ibekwe, Abolaji, Okoi, & Osuchukwu, 2009). On the contrary, other researchers found a significant decrease in body weight induced by R. vomitoria treatment(Aquaisua et al., 2017;Ekong et al., 2015). Such results disparity could be attributed to the differences in experimental parameters like extract concentration, study period, solvent or plant part used in obtaining the extract. ...
... has shown a positive correlation between the DSP and serum testosterone level. Nevertheless, further investigations are needed to approve this androgen synthesis with the ethanolic extract of R. vomitoria.The ability of R. vomitoria extract to enhance both spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis can probably be attributed to its phytochemical composition such as saponins(Aquaisua et al., 2017). It has already been established that saponins can modulate the synthesis of androgens by acting on the pituitary gland to induce the release of LH which stimulates the production of testosterone by the Leydig cells(Gauthaman & Ganesan, 2008) while flavonoids have been associated to maintaining the biosynthesis of androgens by inhibiting the activity of 17 β-estradiol aromatase, the key enzyme in the oestrogen biosynthesis pathway. ...
Article
Plants and plant‐derived products have a long history in the treatment of sexual disorders. Rauvolfia vomitoria is one of such plant used traditionally for the enhancement of male sexual and reproductive activity. This study was carried out to elucidate the potential activity of R. vomitoria ethanolic extract on sexual behaviour and male reproductive function. Twenty‐five male rats were assigned to five groups and orally treated with distilled water (control), sildenafil citrate (standard) and R. vomitoria ethanolic extract (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg BW) for 22 days. Sexual behaviour parameters such as mount latency (ML), intromission latency (IL), ejaculation latency (EL), mount frequency (MF), intromission frequency (IF), ejaculation frequency (IF) and post‐ejaculatory interval (PEI) were recorded at day 0, 1, 8, 15 and 22. The reproductive function including reproductive organ weights, testicular histology and sperm parameters was also assessed. Results showed enhancement in sexual behaviour through significant reduction (p < .01) in ML, IL and PEI and significant increase (p < .01) in EL, MF IF and EF. The extract also caused an increase in sperm count, motility and transit. Present findings demonstrate the ability of R. vomitoria ethanolic extract to improve male sexual behaviour and reproductive activity in rats.
... Different plant extracts have different properties: methanol extracts can be used as antimalarial drugs [29]; aqueous extracts of Rauwolfia vomitoria can be used to treat typhoid and jaundice [30]; and aqueous methanol extracts of R. vomitoria leaves are also used as a treatment for sickle cell anemia [31]. Choosing the best solvent for phytochemical extraction is important because phytochemicals exist with a variety of chemical structures and polarities that can affect their solubility in the selected solvent. ...
... Anti-microbial Effects of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts of Rauvolfia vomitoria Leafs (Zone of inhibition in mm)14.30 13.90 16.20 11.70 16.40 11.80 11.10 12.70 12.50 15.40 Klebsiella pneumoniae 11.40 12.10 13.80 16.10 19.50 10.00 12.00 15.20 15.00 18.10 ...
Article
Full-text available
In this study, the phytochemicals, B vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and antimicrobial activities of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Rauvolfia vomtoria leaves were determined and compared. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis, mineral and B vitamin composition, in vitro antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial properties of both extracts were determined using standard Original Research Article Onobrudu et al.; Asian Plant Res. 68 protocols. Precise analysis of R. vomtoria revealed that the moisture content of the leaves was 8.90%, ash content was 7.70% and crude fiber content was 20.00%. The carbohydrate content of the leaves was 41%, crude protein content was 17. 00% and total fat content was 5.28%. Cardiac glycosides, tannins, phenols, saponins, phytates, steroids, terpenoids and alkaloids were detected in both aqueous and ethanolic extracts. However, significantly higher concentrations of saponins, tannins, flavonoids, steroids, alkaloids, cardiac glycosides and phytates were detected in the ethanolic extract compared to the aqueous extract. There was no significant difference in the amount of phenols and terpenoids in the two extracts (p>0.05). The thiamine content in the aqueous extract was 0.20 whereas that in the ethanolic extract was 0.27. The riboflavin content was higher in the ethanolic extract (1.80) than in the aqueous extract (1.40). Similarly, the niacin content of the ethanolic extract was 0.81 whereas that of the aqueous extract was 0.81. There was no significant difference in the calcium, magnesium and phosphorus values recorded for the two extracts (p>0.05). In contrast, there was a significant difference in the sodium, potassium, zinc, iron and copper contents of the two extracts with the aqueous extract containing higher amounts of potassium and zinc. The aqueous and ethanolic extracts had zones of inhibition against Enterobacter faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhi, Cetrobacter freundii and Shigella flexlerii. However, the zone of inhibition of the ethanolic extract against the tested organisms was higher than that of the aqueous extract. At a concentration of 10%, the aqueous and ethanolic extracts showed 87.29% and 92.03% DPPH scavenging activity, respectively. The percentage of inhibitory activity of the extracts against DPPH radical increased in a dose-dependent manner, with the ethanolic extract showing the highest DPPH radical inhibitory activity at a concentration of 50%. The results confirm that ethanol is a suitable solvent for the extraction of biologically active molecules from R.vomtoria leaves.
... The effectiveness of R. vomitoria in combination with G. latifolium seems synergistic, as the cerebellum has been protected from the individual adverse effects of R. vomitoria [7,9,17], while still maintaining its useful properties. However, there is a report of non-effectiveness with the combination [25]. ...
Article
Full-text available
Rauvolfia vomitoria (RV) and Gongronema latifolium (GL) are medicinal plants used for the local treatment of various health issues. Their activities on the brain motivated this investigation on the histology and immunohistochemistry of the dentate gyrus and spontaneous alternation behaviour (SAB) of adult Wistar rats following RV root bark and GL leaf extract administrations. Twenty young adult Wistar rats (130–160 g) were assigned into four groups: Group 1 served as the control (5 mL/kg of distilled water placebo), while the test groups 2–4 were, respectively, singly administered 200 mg/kg of RV, 200 mg/kg of GL, and their combination. The administrations were oral and lasted for seven days. A T-maze SAB test was carried out, and the animals were sacrificed immediately after ketamine hydrochloride intraperitoneal anaesthesia. Serial sections of the hippocampal region from perfused rat brains were stained with Cresyl fast violet and immunolabelled with neuronal nuclei (NeuN) for neurons and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) for astrocytes. Results indicated that SAB was significantly (p < 0.05) lower in the test groups. Histologically, Nissl was less distributed in the RV and GL-only groups but not in the combined group, while there was less NeuN positivity in the RV group, with the GL and RV + GL groups not affected. There was less positive GFAP expression in individual RV and GL groups, but not in the RV + GL combined group, all compared with the control. In conclusion, the combination of RV and GL did not improve SAB but modulated Nissl, NeuN, and GFAP expression in the dentate gyrus.
... The plant is known in folk medicines of Sri Lanka as a treatment for snake poisoning and for external application in skin ailments (Arambewela and Madawela, 2001). R. vomitoria is traditionally used in African countries for hypertension, mental disorders, psychiatric management, malaria, typhoid and jaundice (Aquaisua et al., 2017;Fapojuwomi and Asinwa, 2013). R. vomitoria is often described as a plant with all parts poisonous, the roots and leaves with emetic and cathartic properties, and the bark used to treat fever and indigestion (Li et al., 1995). ...
... The plant is known in folk medicines of Sri Lanka as a treatment for snake poisoning and for external application in skin ailments (Arambewela and Madawela, 2001). R. vomitoria is traditionally used in African countries for hypertension, mental disorders, psychiatric management, malaria, typhoid and jaundice (Aquaisua et al., 2017;Fapojuwomi and Asinwa, 2013). R. vomitoria is often described as a plant with all parts poisonous, the roots and leaves with emetic and cathartic properties, and the bark used to treat fever and indigestion (Li et al., 1995). ...
... Histological findings also supports, the claims reported in the relative weight above. Results revealed normal appearance of glial cells, granular cells, medullar of white matter and molecular cell layer all appearing normal with no sign of pathology which is in constrast with works done by Aquaisua., et al. [11] and Ekong [12] who studied the effect of some medicinal plants on the cerebellum. ...
... Histological findings also supports, the claims reported in the relative weight above. Results revealed normal appearance of glial cells, granular cells, medullar of white matter and molecular cell layer all appearing normal with no sign of pathology which is in constrast with works done by Aquaisua., et al. [11] and Ekong [12] who studied the effect of some medicinal plants on the cerebellum. ...
Article
Full-text available
Keywords: Theobroma cacao; Wistar Rats; Cerebellum
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication.