Acute oral toxicity, analgesic effect and healing activity of the root’s extracts of Strophanthus gratus (Wall. & Hook.) Baill

Abstract

The plant is native to west and central Africa. It is cultivated for its medical and toxic applications in Ivory Coast. The seeds are rich in strophantine and its aqueous extract is a strong poison. The plant is used for the treatment of heart disease. The root decoction is used to heal wounds and appears to be a powerful aphrodisiac. A phytochemical screening achieved on this aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Strophantus gratus simply unveiled the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, free quinones, tannins, alkaloids, anthocyanins and saponins. Acute toxicity test provides evidence that AESG and EESG are safe up to dose level of 3000mg/kg bw. AESG and EESG have shown analgesic activity similar to Naproxen which suppresses pain sensitivity (acetic acid-induced writhing test). Both AESG_50% and EESG_50% ointment formulations revealed wound healing activity by optimizing healing conditions after a cut and stitches.