An Experimental Evaluation of Protective Effects of Some Indigenous Drugs on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Mice and Rats

Abstract

Tabernaemontana penduliflora K. Schum., family Apocynaceae, known lo-cally as ibbu of ovimbu (Dalziel, 1948) in the Edo language, is a small tree up to 6 - 7 metres in height, occurring as an understory tree in rain forests. As in all apocynaceous plants, this plant exudes a milky juice from all parts when broken. Alkaloids have been reported to be present in a number of species of this genus (Poisson et al., 1967). Indole alkaloids possessing corynanthe, iboga and aspidosperma skeletons have been isolated by Popli et al. (1974) from the leaves of Tabernaernontana divaricatu R. Br. var.2 (petals in two whorls), a fact which is of considerable importance from the biogenetic point of view (Popli et al., 1974). The leaves of Tubernaemontana penduliflora are used as a uterine sedative in Nigerian herbal practice and they also show positive. tests for alkaloids. Apart from a sketchy description of the plant given by Hutchinson and Dalziel (1948), no further work has been reported.