DOI: 10.36347/sajp.2023.v12i03.001

Pages: 53-59

Saccharum officinarum L (Poaceae) is a plant used as a diuretic and in the traditional treatment of arterial hypertension. This study aims to evaluate the acute toxicity and the diuretic potential of the aqueous extract of Saccharum officinarum (Esol) leaves on the diuresis of rats subjected to water overload. The toxicity results show that Esol is non-toxic at a dose of 2000 mg/Kg B.W. and that the LD50 is greater than this dose. The aqueous extract of Saccharum officinarum has many chemical compounds with diuretic and antihypertensive properties such as polyphenols, flavonoids, sterols and polyterpenes and saponosides. Esol acts effectively on diuresis with 24-hour urine volumes of 12.4 ± 0.74 mL; 11.3 ± 0.72 mL for the doses of 1000 and 1300 mg/kg B.W. whose volumetric urinary excretion (VUE) is greater than 150 %. The Time to First Micturition (TFM) of 41.7 ± 6.2 min and 41.2 ± 3.8 min respectively for these 2 doses. The pH of the urine of rats treated with the extract is more alkaline between 7 and 7.35. These results therefore indicate that the aqueous extract of Saccharum officinarum has a diuretic potential, thus justifying its use in traditional medicine.