Volume 14, Issue 1: 2024 - Article 152

Abstract
Many people worldwide still rely on herbal medications for their health care needs.  Vernonia migeodii leaves have shown medicinal activity against some common diseases. There is however a dearth of information on its phytochemical contents, acute toxicity as well as its cytotoxicity. The present study qualitatively screened methanol leaf extract of V. migeodii for its phytochemical constituents, and also evaluated the acute toxicity and cytotoxicity of the extract. The leaves of V. migeodii were collected, air dried, then pulverized and extracted by cold maceration in 70% methanol for 48 hours. The extract was concentrated in a hot air oven at 40°C. Qualitative phytochemical screening of the extract was done following standard procedures. Eighteen albino mice were used for the acute toxicity study following Lorke's method, and brine shrimps were used for the cytoxicity test. During the acute toxicity study, at day 14, the mice groups given higher doses were humanely sacrificed and their liver, stomach and kidney were processed for histopathology. Results of the phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of saponins, phenolic acid, terpenes, flavonoids and alkaloids in the extract. No obvious sign of toxicity was recorded in the mice groups during the acute toxicity study. The LD₅₀ of the extract was thus taken to be above 5000 mg/kg. In the cytotoxicity test using brine shrimps, death was recorded in the group having the highest dose, with 80% survival rate. The methanol leaf extracts of V. migeodii was thus considered to be rich in medicinally useful phytochemicals, and safe/not acutely toxic at the highest given dose of 5000 mg/kg in mice.

Keywords: Phytochemical screening; Vernonia migeodii;  Methanol leaf extract; Cytotoxicity; Acute toxicity.

How to cite this article:
David SC, Attama SC, Obetta TU, Onunwa GE (2024). Preliminary qualitative phytochemical screening, acute toxicity study and
cytotoxicity tests on methanolic leaf extract of Vernonia migeodii. Journal of Veterinary and Applied Sciences, 14(1): 644 – 650.

*Correspondence: E-mail:     solomon.david@unn.edu.ng      Phone: +2347034398164

Preliminary qualitative phytochemical screening, acute toxicity study and cytotoxicity tests on methanolic leaf extract of Vernonia migeodii

Solomon C. David ¹ *, Samuel C. Attama ², Timothy U. Obetta ¹, Gideon E. Onunwa ^3
1 Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,         University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
² Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Medicine,             Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
³ Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.

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