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Journal of Thai Traditional & Alternative Medicine Vol. 7 No. 1 January-April 2009 Ò˘

inferior vena cava of each animal for analyzing hema- malin and subsequently subjected to histological pro-
tological and clinical chemistry values by using the cess for preparing tissue slides stained with hema-
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automatic hematological analyzer Cell Dyn 3500 and toxylin and eosin (H&E). Tissue slides were histo-
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the automatic chemistry analyzer Hitachi 912, respec- pathologically examined by a veterinary pathologist.
tively. The hematological parameters examined were
Statistical data analysis
hematocrit (Hct), erythrocytes (RBCs), hemoglobin,
mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell hemoglobin (MCH), Body weight, food intake, relative organ weight,
mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), white hematological and clinical chemistry values were sta-
blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, eosinophils, lympho- tistically analyzed using the SPSS program (version
cytes, monocytes, basophils and platelets. The clini- 11.0). One-way ANOVA was performed and the data
cal chemistry parameters measured were alkaline were tested for homogeneity of variance by Levene
phosphatase (ALP), alanine transminase (ALT), as- test. Bonferroni test was used in cases of equal vari-
partate transminase (AST), total protein, albumin, bi- ance, whereas Dunnetteûs T3 test was applied for
lirubin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, glu- unequal variance in multiple comparisons. The inci-
cose, uric acid, triglyceride, cholesterol, sodium, po- dence of histopathological lesions was analyzed by
tassium and chloride ion. Necropsy was then per- Fisherûs exact test and the statistical significance of
formed to determine the gross lesions of various vis- all data was set at p < 0.05.
ceral organs. Brain, heart, lung, liver, kidney, stom-
Results
ach, spleen, testis, uterus and adrenal glands were
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weighed by using a Mettler Toledo PB 153 balance.
Effects on body weight, food consumption and
The organ weights were calculated into relative or-
physical appearance
gan weights (g/100g body weight). The visceral or-
gans were then preserved in 10 percent buffered for- The average body weight and food consump-

Table 1 Body weight (g) and percentage relative organ weight of male rats receiving Thunbergia laurifolia extract for 6 months

Dose of Thunbergia laurifolia extract (mg/kg/day)
Parameters Control 20 200 1000 2000 2000R
N= 15 N = 15 N = 15 N = 15 N = 15 N = 15
Initial body weight 222.48 ±14.77 221.19 ± 9.65 222.93 ±15.33 223.29 ±14.03 226.95 ±16.40 223.90 ±11.28
Final body weight 576.89 ±73.73 562.50 ±50.93 554.41 ±51.48 559.43 ±62.27 568.29 ±67.96 553.25 ±46.03
Brain 0.38 ± 0.05 0.39 ± 0.03 0.39 ± 0.02 0.39 ± 0.04 0.38 ± 0.04 0.38 ± 0.03
Heart 0.25 ± 0.02 0.24 ± 0.02 0.24 ± 0.02 0.24 ± 0.02 0.23 ± 0.03 0.24 ± 0.03
Lung 0.28 ± 0.03 0.30 ± 0.04 0.29 ± 0.02 0.29 ± 0.03 0.28 ± 0.03 0.30 ± 0.03
Liver 2.23 ± 0.14 2.30 ± 0.20 2.25 ± 0.17 2.31 ± 0.17 2.41 ± 0.16 2.35 ± 0.19
Stomach 0.37 ± 0.04 0.39 ± 0.04 0.37 ± 0.03 0.38 ± 0.04 0.39 ± 0.04 0.37 ± 0.04
Spleen 0.16 ± 0.02 0.17 ± 0.02 0.17 ± 0.02 0.17 ± 0.02 0.18 ± 0.02* 0.17 ± 0.01
Right kidney 0.21 ± 0.02 0.21 ± 0.01 0.22 ± 0.02 0.23 ± 0.01 0.24 ± 0.01* 0.23 ± 0.02
Left kidney 0.20 ± 0.02 0.20 ± 0.01 0.21 ± 0.02 0.22 ± 0.02 0.23 ± 0.01* 0.22 ± 0.02*
Right testis 0.52 ± 0.04 0.54 ± 0.07 0.51 ± 0.10 0.51 ± 0.12 0.49 ± 0.06 0.53 ± 0.06
Left testis 0.53 ± 0.04 0.54 ± 0.07 0.52 ± 0.09 0.50 ± 0.14 0.51 ± 0.08 0.53 ± 0.06
Right adrenal 0.005± 0.001 0.006± 0.001 0.006± 0.001 0.005± 0.001 0.005± 0.001 0.006± 0.001
Left adrenal 0.006± 0.001 0.006± 0.001 0.006± 0.001 0.006± 0.001 0.006± 0.001 0.006± 0.001
Bladder 0.036± 0.013 0.036± 0.007 0.037± 0.011 0.031± 0.003 0.033± 0.006 0.029± 0.006
Note : The values are expressed as mean ±± ±± ± SD.
*Significantly different from the control group (p<0.05).