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ABSTRACT
Medicinal plants are some of the older remedies for a wide range of illness and conditions which have affected humans over centuries. The unregulated use of these plants and their extracts can have unintended adverse impacts on the consumers. This study was carried out to evaluate the phytochemistry of selected medicinal plants (Annona muricata, Andrographis paniculata and Zingiber officinale) and their impacts on the histopathology of the stomach and spleen of Wistar rats. The mixed extract of these three plants was obtained from the leaves of the plants using standard methods. A total of 25 Wistar rats were exposed to the mixed plant extracts. The phytochemical analyses of the mixed extracts and histopathological evaluation of the spleens and stomach of the exposed rats. The results showed that the extracts had some phytochemicals including alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, steroids, glycosides and terpenoids. The histopathological features of the spleens showed lymphoid follicles comprised of aggregates of lymphocytes and prominent red pulps which were normal when compared with the control. The stomach tissues of the rats showed scanty leucocyte infiltration, thickening and mild disruption of the surface epithelium mucosa. In conclusion, the tissues of the spleens had no effect , however, those of the stomach had effect upon exposure. Further studies to elicit the biosafety and compound elucidation of the mixed plant extracts is recommended.
