Abstract

Plant leaves are known to be rich in a wide range of bioactive compounds with diverse biological properties, making them valuable in drug discovery and development. This study investigated the bioactive constituents and sub-acute toxicity profile of Cola acuminata leaf extract. Fresh leaves were air-dried, ground into powder, and macerated in methanol for 72 hours. The mixture was filtered, and the crude extract was concentrated using a rotary evaporator at 40°C. Twenty-eight male albino Wistar rats were divided into seven groups (four rats per group). Groups 2 to 7 received oral doses of the extract at 10, 100, 1000, 1600, 2900, and 5000 mg/kg respectively, while group 1 received normal saline, all for 14 days. After treatment, animals were sacrificed under light anesthesia. Blood was collected via cardiac puncture, and liver and kidney tissues were harvested for biochemical and hematological analysis. GC-MS and HPLC analyses were performed to identify phytochemical constituents. Liver and kidney markers such as ALP, ALT, AST, urea, and creatinine showed significant changes at higher doses (p<0.05), although hematological parameters (HBG, PCV, RBC, PLT, WBC) remained unaffected. No mortality was observed. GC-MS identified 17 bioactive compounds, including β-Longipinene, Pentadecane, cetene, 1-octadecene, neophytadiene, 1-eicosene, oxazepam, etc while HPLC detected flavonoids like flavone, narigenin, catechin, anthocyanin, tannin, among others. The results suggest that while Cola acuminata leaf extract is rich in beneficial phytochemicals, prolonged use at high doses may cause liver and kidney dysfunction.

Keywords: Bioactive compounds, Cola acuminata, GC-MS, HPLC, Phytochemicals, Antioxidants