Rauvolfia vomitoria Afzel. disrupts dentate gyrus cells

Abstract

Herbal remedy for neurological problems may have adverse effects, and could prove detrimental if not regulated properly. <em>Rauvolfia vomitoria</em> (RV) is a herb commonly associated with psychiatry management because of its antipsychotic and sedative properties. Here, we studied the effects of the root bark extract of <em>R. vomitoria</em> on the dentate gyrus of adult Wistar rats. Twenty four adult Wistar rats (220 g average) were divided into four groups (n=6); control (placebo), 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg RV root bark extract, respectively for 7 days. The animals were sacrificed 24 h after last administration, and the brains were processed for histology and immunoreactivity. Results showed hypertrophy and atrophy of granule cells in all 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg RV groups, respectively. There was increased neuron specific enolase and glial fibrillary acidic protein expressions in the 200 and 300 mg/kg RV groups, while these proteins expression were decreased in the 400 mg/kg RV group. These results suggest that RV cause dentate gyrus cell injury in a dose-dependent pattern, and may lead to degeneration and disruption of functions.