Histopathological Effects of Aqueous Euphorbia hirta Extract on the Gastrointestinal Tract of Albino Rats

Abstract

Euphorbia hirta (Linn.), commonly known as asthma weed, is a medicinal herb widely used in traditional medicine for the management of gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory conditions, and inflammatory diseases. Despite its extensive ethnomedicinal application, there remains limited experimental evidence validating its gastrointestinal safety, particularly at the histological level. This study assessed the histopathological effects of aqueous E. hirta extract on the gastrointestinal tract of albino rats. Twenty adult male albino rats were randomly assigned into four groups (n = 5): Group A served as the control and received distilled water, while Groups B, C, and D were administered aqueous E. hirta extract orally at doses of 200 mg/kg, 600 mg/kg, and 1000 mg/kg body weight, respectively, for fourteen consecutive days. Twenty-four hours after the final administration, the animals were sacrificed, stomach and small intestine were excised, fixed, and processed histologically. A fecal occult blood test was performed to assess possible gastrointestinal bleeding, and all samples tested negative. Histology revealed normal mucosal architecture in tissue sections across all groups, except the highest dose (1000 mg/kg), where mild vascular congestion and slight epithelial folding were observed without necrosis, ulceration, or inflammatory cell infiltration. No statistically significant differences were observed when compared with the control group (p > 0.05). These findings indicate that short-term oral administration of aqueous E. hirta extract does not induce significant histopathological alterations in the gastrointestinal tract of albino rats, suggesting relative gastrointestinal safety at the tested doses. Further long-term and mechanistic studies are recommended to elucidate its chronic effects.