Preclinical assessment of the acute hematological safety of an antimicrobial ethanolic phytoextract from Combretum racemosum in Wistar rats

Many ethanolic phytoextracts exhibit promising antimicrobial performance but may also display toxic effects, particularly on blood erythrocytes, potentially leading to acute hemolytic anemia. Therefore, it is essential to verify their safety. This study aimed to evaluate the acute erythrocyte safety of an ethanolic phytoextract (Ethe) with antimicrobial potential from Combretum racemosum in female Wistar rats, by assessing the potential risk of acute hemolytic anemia. Eighteen female rats (n = 18) were divided into six groups of three animals each (n = 3) and orally administered single doses of Eethe at 5, 50, 300, 2000, and 5000 mg/kg of body weight, while the negative control group (n = 3) received distilled water. Red blood cell (RBC) count, hemoglobin concentration (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were measured 24 hours after Ethe administration. No significant clinical abnormalities were observed at 5% threshold (p > 0.05), regardless of the single dose administered. The values of RBC, Hb, Hct, MCV, MCH, and MCHC remained stable within their physiological reference ranges. No significant variations indicative of hemolytic anemia were detected at 5% threshold (p > 0.05). The ethanolic phytoextract (Ethe) from Combretum racemosum leaves tested in this study exhibited good single-dose safety on the erythrocytes of Wistar rats, even at high doses (up to 5000 mg/kg of body weight). However, subchronic and chronic studies are required to confirm this observation and support the development of Ethe as a natural antimicrobial candidate.