Journal of Acute Disease (Jul 2016)

Antimicrobial evaluation, acute and sub-acute toxicity studies of Allium sativum

  • Bashir Lawal,
  • Oluwatosin Kudirat Shittu,
  • Florence Inje Oibiokpa,
  • Hadiza Mohammed,
  • Sheriff Itopa Umar,
  • Garba Muhammed Haruna

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joad.2016.05.002
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 4
pp. 296 – 301

Abstract

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Objective: To evaluate the antimicrobial and toxicological effects of aqueous garlic (Allium sativum) bulbs extract in wister rat using biochemical and hematological parameters. Methods: A total of 20 wister rats were assigned into four (A–D) groups of five animals each. Group A served as the control and was administered 1 mL of distilled water. Groups B–C were given 300, 600 and 1200 mg/kg body weight of garlic (Allium sativum) bulbs extract for 5 weeks. Results: Garlic bulbs extract produced significant inhibitory activities against all bacteria tested at concentrations of 120 and 160 mg/mL. However, at concentration of 80 mg/mL, the extract had no inhibitory activities against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella typhi. The minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration ranged between 80–120 mg/mL and 120–160 mg/mL respectively. Toxicological study revealed that the extract did not cause any significant (P > 0.05) alteration to serum aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase activities, total bilirubins, Na, K, creatinine, red blood cell, hematocrit, hemoglobin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, granulocyte and organs-body weight ratio. However, serum alanine transaminase activities, total proteins, direct bilirubins, Cl− concentrations and body weight gain were significantly (P < 0.05) lowered while the concentrations of urea, albumin, white blood cell, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume count were raised significantly (P < 0.05) in rats dosed with 600 and 1200 mg/kg of the extract. However, at a dose of 300 mg/kg only, the concentrations of Cl−, urea and albumin were mildly altered. Conclusions: The extract caused selective changes in some biochemical parameters of organ function; however, since only mild alteration was observed at a dose of 300 mg/kg, the garlic bulb may be considered to be relatively safe and could be explored as an oral remedy at this dose.

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