Evaluation of the Acute Toxicity of Aqueous Extracts from Two Species of Corchorus Genus: Corchorus aestuans L. and Corchorus olitorius L. (Malvaceae)

Aims: Corchorus aestuans and Corchorus olitorius are two species of the genus commonly mentioned in Côte d'Ivoire as medicinal plants whose leaves decoctions are used to treat various diseases. To avoid cases of intoxication in traditional treatments, this study evaluates the acute toxicity of these plant species by having mice gorge on increasing doses of crude aqueous extract.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out in the Pharmacognosy Laboratory of Félix HOUPHOUËT-BOIGNY University (Côte d'Ivoire), between march 2016 and september 2016.

Methodology: To assess the acute toxicity of the two extracts, we used 110 mice of SWISS breed. These animals aged four to six weeks were of both sexes (55 mice for each sex) and weighed between 13 and 26 g. Before the manipulations, the animals were fasted 12 hours before being divided into 11 batches of 10 mice receiving extract 1 (Corchorus aestuans) and extract 2 (Corchorus olitorius). We observed the effets of each phytomedecine on mice in different batches.

Results: Aqueous extracts of Corchorus aestuans and Corchorus olitorius (Malvaceae), administered orally, exert a dose-response effect. Concerning toxicity activities, Corchorus olitorius is not toxic. However, Corchorus aestuans is slightly toxic in the conditions of this study. The dose which kills half of the animals (LD 50 ) is 3999.93 mg/kg by oral voice (vo). This dose is the threshold of toxicity of the plant in the conditions of this study. Fortunately, this toxicity threshold is not accessible in therapy. The phytomedicine, in the conditions of use in traditional medicine in Côte d'Ivoire, is not toxic.

Conclusion: The two plant species thus offer an interesting margin of safety, which is reassuring as to the use of the decoction, for the treatment of various pathologies.