Asian Journal of Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ethanolic leaf extract of lemongrass on body lung histology of treated wistar rats. Freshly harvested leaves of lemongrass were dried at room temperature and afterwards ground into fine powder. 250 g of powdered plant sample was suspended in 1000 mL of 95% ethanol for 72 hours and agitated thrice daily. The resulting extract was concentrated. Twenty adult male wistar rats were divided into four groups of five rats. Group I was the Normal Control, Group II was administered with 100 mg/kg b.w of ethanolic extract of lemongrass, Group III was administered with 300 mg/kg b.w of ethanolic extract of lemongrass, and Group IV was administered with 600 mg/kg b.w of ethanolic extract of lemongrass. Treatment lasted for 14 days after which subsequently sacrificed. The lungs were harvested for histological examination which was carried out using standard procedures. Oral administration of ethanolic leaf extract of lemongrass significantly (P<0.05) decreased body weight of treated rats compared to their untreated counterpart. The histopathological report showed a mild to moderate congestion of blood vessels and inflammatory cells around the bronchioles in the treated groups when compared to control. In conclusion, it can be deduced from this study that extract of lemongrass has the capacity to inflict harm to the lungs at high doses.