Effect of the time of administration of a phytomedicine in mice

One of the biggest difficulties for the traditional doctor is controlling the adverse or even toxic effects of the plants used. The present work is therefore interested in in vivo toxicological tests of Pteleopsis suberosa, a plant used in the Togolese pharmacopoeia, against infections of the digestive tract in children. The animal model used is the rat of the Wistars albino strain for acute toxicity and the Swiss albino white mouse for subacute toxicity and chronotoxicity. The plant extract was obtained by the crude extraction method. The solvent used is an ethanol-water mixture in the proportions 70% and 30%. The significant variation of certain acute biochemical parameters has prompted us to explore other toxicological aspects, in this case chronotoxicity. The results show a decrease in general growth and an increase in the relative weight of the lungs in mice. This observed toxic effect would vary depending on the time of administration and reached its maximum when the animals were treated in the diurnal rest phase.