ACUTE TOXICITY STUDIES

Fadogia cienkowskii is a medicinal plant traditionally used for pain relief and other therapeutic purposes. Despite its widespread ethnobotanical use, scientific validation of its safety and analgesic properties remains limited. This research investigated the acute toxicity and analgesic properties of the ethanol extract from F. cienkowskii stem bark in mice. The acute toxicity study was conducted using Lorke’s method, with oral administration of the extract at doses up to 5000 mg/kg to assess toxicity signs and determine the median lethal dose (LD₅₀). The analgesic activity was evaluated using two pain models: the acetic acid-induced writhing test and the tail immersion test. Mice were treated with F. cienkowskii extract at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, and their responses were compared to those of control and standard drug groups. The result of the acute toxicity study revealed no mortality or significant behavioral changes, indicating that the extract is well-tolerated at 5000 mg/kg. In the mice writhing test, the extract significantly reduced the number of writhes in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting a potent peripheral analgesic activity. However, in the tail immersion test, the extract did not significantly prolong pain response latency, unlike morphine, indicating a lack of central analgesic action. In summary, the results indicate that F. cienkowskii stem bark extract has strong peripheral painrelieving effects, possibly by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis, but lacks central analgesic activity. Furthermore, the extract demonstrated a favorable safety profile. These results support the plant’s traditional use for pain relief and warrant further studies to isolate and characterize its active compounds.