In Vivo Acute and Subchronic Toxicity of

Background: Despite its traditional use in Africa for weight management, the safety profile of the aqueous stem bark extract of Methods: Acute toxicity was assessed according to OECD Guideline 425 using a single oral dose of 5000 mg/kg. Subchronic toxicity was evaluated over 56 days at doses of 150, 300 and 600 mg/kg/day. Satellite groups (the control and the 600 mg/kg/day group) were maintained for an additional 14 days to observe the reversibility of any treatment-related effects. Parameters studied included body/organ weights, haematological, biochemical, lipid and histopathological profiles. Results: No mortalities or signs of acute toxicity were observed during the 14 days following extract administration. Subchronic administration did not affect survival or relative organ weights, although the 600 mg/kg dose induced minor structural alterations in affected organs. The extract significantly reduced body weight gain. At 150 mg/kg, the extract sex-specifically improved lipid profiles by lowering triglycerides in males and increasing HDL cholesterol in females. Haematological assessment revealed a dose-dependent increase in platelet counts in male rats at 600 mg/kg, which returned to baseline levels after the 14-day recovery period. Elevated AST and ALT fully reversed in females post-recovery; however, elevated ALT persisted at 600 mg/kg in males. Creatinine remained stable or decreased, and minor variations in urea concentrations in both sexes returned to baseline during recovery. Conclusion: