Guiera Senegalensis Activity in Acetic Acid Induced Colitis in Rats

Guiera senegalensis commonly known as ¿Sabarä in Hausa is a common shrub in Northern Nigeria and its leaves are used medicinally for a wide range of ailments. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic relapsing condition affecting the gastrointestinal tract and is caused by variable pathophysiological mechanisms. This work employs an animal model of IBD using acetic acid to investigate the effect of the plant. An aqueous extraction method was used to reflect traditional practices. Wister rats were randomly divided into 6 groups of 5 animals each. Different concentrations of the leaf extract were orally administered to the test subjects and compared to a control, a colitis control and a treatment control; animals were thoroughly assessed for 7 days. After the animals were sacrificed, macroscopic and microscopic features of the colon, spleen and bone marrow were documented and analyzed. The plant showed anti inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities.