Evaluation of Acute Toxicity and Sedative Effects of Ethylic Extract of <i>Thymelaea lythroides</i> in Wistar Rats

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute toxicity and sedative effect of the ethylic extract of Thymelaea lythroides ( Tl ) on Wistar rats. The study was based on the gavage administration of the ethylic extract of Tl with different doses (i.e. 200, 400, 500 and 5000 mg/kg), where the toxicity and the sedative activity of the plant were observed and the obtained results were analyzed using the ANOVA test followed by the Bonferroni test. The main results of this study showed that the lethal dose of the ethylic extract of Tl was higher than the 5000 mg/kg dose. Moreover, when compared to the control rats, the animals treated with 5000 mg/kg of the extract exhibited significant reduction in appetite for food and water in the first week. Furthermore, results of the psychotropic test conducted during this study showed visible effects on the exploratory activity of the rats. The dose of 5000 mg/kg was also found to have a significant central nervous system effect; the locomotor activities of the animals decreased in a manner similar to those administered with Zepam as control.