ABSTRACT

Andrographis paniculata is a medicinal plant which has been found to have a lot of pharmacological properties such as anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory effects e.t.c. This study investigated the acute and sub-acute toxicity, antioxidant activity, and effects on organ weights and body weight of Wistar rats treated with aqueous extract of Andrographis paniculata. The results showed that the extract was non-toxic up to a dose of 5000 mg/kg body weight. The extract also significantly increased the liver, kidney, and heart organ weight in a dose dependent manner. The extract significantly increased body weight in treated rats compared to the control group. Furthermore, the antioxidant study revealed that the extract significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and increased glutathione (GSH) levels, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in a dose-dependent manner indicating its antioxidant potential.