DOI: 10.21276/sajp

Pages: 229-235

Holarrhena floribunda is a plant used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various pathologies. However, it could cause toxic effects on the heart of patients. In order to determine its possible cardiotoxic effects, forty rats were randomly grouped into 2 (control group and treated group), combined with 10 rats (control satellite group and satellite treated group). Treated and satellite treated groups received, by gavage, 1000 mg / kg b.w. of the ethyl acetate extract of the leaves of H. floribunda (EAHf). Control and satellite control groups were administered orally with distilled water for 90 days. Animals blood samples were taken a day before the beginning of administration of H. floribunda and every week during the first month and at the end of every month from the second month until the end of the experiment. Serum was prepared for cardiac biochemical markers assay. The rats of the treated group at the end of the third month and those of the satellite group at the end of the fourth month were euthanized using overdose of ether, the heart of the rats was removed for gross morphology and histopathology analysis. The results of the biochemical parameters showed that this extract induced a significant decrease (p <0.05) in total cholesterol, calcium, potassium and a significant increase (p < 0.05) of HDL, sodium levels, and AST activities. On the other hand, ALT, LDH and CPK activities, and serum triglyceride concentrations did not show any significant changes (p <0.05) in treated rats group compared to controls. Microscopic observations of heart tissue sections of rats treated with the ethyl acetate extract of H. floribunda showed no lesions, no edema, and no necrosis. These results suggest that H. floribunda did not interfere with functioning or altered the integrity of the heart.