Comparison of Weibull and probit analysis in toxicity testing of Hunteria umbellata K schum (Apocynaceae) extract in mice

Abstract

Purpose; Hunteria umbellata has been found to have therapeutic potentials in the treatments of diseases such as yaws, peptic ulcers, diabetes, piles and infertility in Nigeria; hence, the statistical analysis on the determination of acute toxicity of Hunteria umbellata was carried out in mice. Methods; Data on the acute toxicity studies of the seed extract of Hunteria umbellata administered via the intraperitoneal route was analyzed using the two-parameter Weibull model. Results; The median lethal dose (LD50) was 1.61 g/kg of body weight. This result falls in the neighbourhood of the median lethal dose earlier obtained in previous reports. Conclusion; The results show that Hunteria umbellata may be slightly toxic when administered intraperitoneally. © Pharmacotherapy Group, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, 300001 Nigeria. All rights reserved.