Acute Liver Impact of Aqueous Parkia biglobosa Seed Extract in Experimental Rats

There is a global resurgence in the use of herbal preparations, and in some developing countries, including Nigeria, it has been gradually integrated into the primary and secondary health care systems. Nearly all societies have used herbal materials as sources of medicines, and the development of these herbal sources of medicines depends on local botanical flora, of which the effects are not usually known. The study aimed to investigate the acute effects of aqueous seed extract of Parkia biglobosa on liver functions in Wistar albino rats. Acute toxicity was performed via the intraperitoneal route to determine the LD50. The animals were subsequently sacrificed, and liver functions were assessed using standard techniques. The acute intraperitoneal toxicity result, LD50, revealed Parkia biglobosa aqueous seed extract to be non-lethal at 5000mg/kg bodyweight. The results obtained for liver function parameters indicated that ingestion of Parkia biglobosa seed extract has no toxic effect on liver functions. The results can form the basis for further clinical trials.