European Journal of Medicinal Plants

Aims: Costus afer (C. afer) is a medicinal plant commonly used as a herbal remedy for diabetes and hypertension in our country, Nigeria  The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of crude ethanolic stem extract/juice of C. afer (bush cane) on the cerebrum of rats.

Study Design: This study is designed to test possible adverse effect of C. afer stem extract and stem juice on the cerebral histology and astrocytic protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein expression using the rat’s model.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out in the department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Nigeria between May and July 2015. 

Methodology: Adult albino Wistar rats weighing between 150 g – 210 g were divided into four groups of six rats each. Group I served as the control group and received distilled water, Group II was given the extract, 200 mg/kg weight of rat. Group III, was given the extract, 500 mg/kg weight of the rat while group IV was given the juice, 5ml/kg weight of the rat. Administration was done orally once a day using the orogastric tube for 28 days, at the end of which the animals were sacrificed g chloroform anaesthesia and preserved in buffered formaldehyde. The gross morphology was observed, histology of the cerebrum was studied using Haematoxylin and Eosin stain, and glial fibrillary acidic protein as an index of brain injury was assessed using immunohistochemical procedures.

Results: Results showed that C. afer had no adverse morphological effect on the rats. A mild vacuolation of the cells and reactive astrogliosis were observed on sections of cerebrum from the experimental animals. These indicate toxic effects on the cerebrum of Wistar rats

Conclusion: It was concluded that C. afer stem extract and juice administered to rats caused vacuolation of cells and astrogliosis in the cerebrum and these indicate toxic effect.