Cytogenotoxicity and safe doses of Azadirachta indica L. (Neem tree) leaf extract obtained in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria
Azadirachta indica (neem tree) is used to treat diseases in Nigeria, however, scarcity of documented information on the plant's toxicity exists in the country. Toxicity evaluation of medicinal plants in relation to geographical location is essential, as toxicity may vary due to differences in p...
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University of Ruhuna
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Ruhuna Journal of Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.rjs.ruh.ac.lk/index.php/rjs/article/view/5568/398 |
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| author | Tajudeen Yahaya Salisu Titilola Fausat Angela Daniel Muhammed Ndakogi Musa Emmanuel John Ridwan Sulaiman Abubakar Saadu ThankGod James |
| author_facet | Tajudeen Yahaya Salisu Titilola Fausat Angela Daniel Muhammed Ndakogi Musa Emmanuel John Ridwan Sulaiman Abubakar Saadu ThankGod James |
| author_sort | Tajudeen Yahaya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Azadirachta indica (neem tree) is used to treat diseases in Nigeria, however, scarcity of documented information on the plant's toxicity exists in the country. Toxicity evaluation of medicinal plants in relation to geographical location is essential, as toxicity may vary due to differences in pollutants and environmental factors. This study assessed the phytochemical composition, heavy metal content, cytotoxic potential, and safe doses of methanolic leaf extracts of A. indica obtained from Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria. Twenty-one Allium cepa bulbs were divided equally into seven groups. The negative control (Group 1) and positive control (Group 2) bulbs were grown for five days over beakers containing distilled water and formaldehyde, respectively. Test groups (Groups 3–7) were grown over beakers containing A. indica extract solutions at concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 g, respectively. Phytochemical analysis revealed abundant flavonoids, phenols, and saponins, moderate levels of tannins, and trace amounts of quinones, cardiac glycosides, and terpenoids. Heavy metal analysis showed the presence of copper (3.8 mg/kg), lead (0.12 mg/kg), and cadmium (0.04 mg/kg), all of which exceeded the permissible limits established by WHO. Except for the 0.25 g group, the test groups exhibited dose-dependent (p ≤ 0.05) cytogenetic effects, including reduced root growth and mitotic index. Chromosomal abnormalities such as sticky, bridged, vagrant, laggard, and fragmented chromosomes were also observed. These findings suggest that A. indica may be safe at low concentrations but exhibits toxic effects at higher concentrations. The results provide a valuable baseline for further investigations into the plant's safety. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fd7616861fa348d69cc35905a35b59ff |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2536-8400 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Ruhuna |
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| series | Ruhuna Journal of Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-fd7616861fa348d69cc35905a35b59ff2025-08-20T02:57:46ZengUniversity of RuhunaRuhuna Journal of Science2536-84002023-12-0114214515910.4038/rjs.v14i2.141Cytogenotoxicity and safe doses of Azadirachta indica L. (Neem tree) leaf extract obtained in Birnin Kebbi, NigeriaTajudeen Yahaya0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5252-6536Salisu Titilola Fausat1Angela Daniel2Muhammed Ndakogi Musa3Emmanuel John4Ridwan Sulaiman5Abubakar Saadu6ThankGod James7Department of Biological Sciences, Federal University Birnin Kebbi, PMB 1157, Kebbi State, NigeriaDepartment of Zoology and Environmental Biology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, NigeriaDepartment of Biological Sciences, Federal University Birnin Kebbi, PMB 1157, Kebbi State, NigeriaDepartment of Biological Sciences, Federal University Birnin Kebbi, PMB 1157, Kebbi State, NigeriaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University Birnin Kebbi, NigeriaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University Birnin Kebbi, NigeriaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University Birnin Kebbi, NigeriaDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University Birnin Kebbi, NigeriaAzadirachta indica (neem tree) is used to treat diseases in Nigeria, however, scarcity of documented information on the plant's toxicity exists in the country. Toxicity evaluation of medicinal plants in relation to geographical location is essential, as toxicity may vary due to differences in pollutants and environmental factors. This study assessed the phytochemical composition, heavy metal content, cytotoxic potential, and safe doses of methanolic leaf extracts of A. indica obtained from Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria. Twenty-one Allium cepa bulbs were divided equally into seven groups. The negative control (Group 1) and positive control (Group 2) bulbs were grown for five days over beakers containing distilled water and formaldehyde, respectively. Test groups (Groups 3–7) were grown over beakers containing A. indica extract solutions at concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 g, respectively. Phytochemical analysis revealed abundant flavonoids, phenols, and saponins, moderate levels of tannins, and trace amounts of quinones, cardiac glycosides, and terpenoids. Heavy metal analysis showed the presence of copper (3.8 mg/kg), lead (0.12 mg/kg), and cadmium (0.04 mg/kg), all of which exceeded the permissible limits established by WHO. Except for the 0.25 g group, the test groups exhibited dose-dependent (p ≤ 0.05) cytogenetic effects, including reduced root growth and mitotic index. Chromosomal abnormalities such as sticky, bridged, vagrant, laggard, and fragmented chromosomes were also observed. These findings suggest that A. indica may be safe at low concentrations but exhibits toxic effects at higher concentrations. The results provide a valuable baseline for further investigations into the plant's safety.https://www.rjs.ruh.ac.lk/index.php/rjs/article/view/5568/398azadirachta indica (neem tree)leadmitotic indexsaponinsvagrant chromosomes |
| spellingShingle | Tajudeen Yahaya Salisu Titilola Fausat Angela Daniel Muhammed Ndakogi Musa Emmanuel John Ridwan Sulaiman Abubakar Saadu ThankGod James Cytogenotoxicity and safe doses of Azadirachta indica L. (Neem tree) leaf extract obtained in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria Ruhuna Journal of Science azadirachta indica (neem tree) lead mitotic index saponins vagrant chromosomes |
| title | Cytogenotoxicity and safe doses of Azadirachta indica L. (Neem tree) leaf extract obtained in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria |
| title_full | Cytogenotoxicity and safe doses of Azadirachta indica L. (Neem tree) leaf extract obtained in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria |
| title_fullStr | Cytogenotoxicity and safe doses of Azadirachta indica L. (Neem tree) leaf extract obtained in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cytogenotoxicity and safe doses of Azadirachta indica L. (Neem tree) leaf extract obtained in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria |
| title_short | Cytogenotoxicity and safe doses of Azadirachta indica L. (Neem tree) leaf extract obtained in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria |
| title_sort | cytogenotoxicity and safe doses of azadirachta indica l neem tree leaf extract obtained in birnin kebbi nigeria |
| topic | azadirachta indica (neem tree) lead mitotic index saponins vagrant chromosomes |
| url | https://www.rjs.ruh.ac.lk/index.php/rjs/article/view/5568/398 |
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