Published Paper Details:

In an attempt to obtain better knowledge into the use of plant medicines, an experimental study on the prolonged consumption of Jatropha tanjorensis known by several names such as hospital too far, botuje, chaya, Iyana Ipaja, was carried out. Jatropha tanjorensis is grown in the Southern parts of Nigeria with its leaves used either as vegetables or plant medicines. There were documented evidence of its ethnomedicinal uses which includes its efficacy in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, anemia, malaria amongst other properties. Albino rabbits weighing 2.8-3.00kg were placed into control and experimental groups as follows (i) control group (ii) experimental group I: aqueous leaf extracts group and (iii) experimental group II: methanolic leaf extracts groups were used. Control group rabbits were administered 3kg grower's mash feed per 300ml distilled water ad libitum for 90 days. Experimental group I rabbits were administered 3kg grower's mash per 300ml aqueous leaf extracts of Jatropha tanjorensis ad libitum for 90 days. While experimental group II rabbits were administered 3kg growers mash per 300ml methanolic leaf extracts of Jatropha tanjorensis ad libitum for 90 days. The rabbits were "sacrificed" at the end of the experiment and histopathological examinations were carried out. From observations, the kidneys of control group rabbits did not present any observable changes. Kidneys of experimental group I rabbits: aqueous extract group presented mild distortions which include renal tubular damage (RTD), Peritubular interstitium (PI) containing cells and collapsed renal tubules (CRT). Experimental group II rabbits: methanolic leaf extract group presented severe distortions with hypercellularity of glomeruli, occluded Bowman's capsule and peritubular interstitium (PI) containing cells. From these observations, there is no doubt that toxicity levels of aqueous leaf extracts were mild when compared with toxicity levels of methanolic leaf extracts and this directly implies that higher toxicity levels were present with methanolic leaf extracts.