SAFETY OF AZADIRACHTA INDICA OIL

Abstract— Raw Azdirachta indica seed oil is gradually adopted by local farmers as a protector of stored grains and legumes against the common insects, but with some reservations on its safety. The study investigated the safety A. indica on mammalian objects using haematological and antioxidant indices. A. indica seed was obtained from the trees in the same location in Utu Ikot Ukpong, Essien Udim Local Government Area,

Nigeria. The Albino rats were  obtained from the Animal House of Biochemistry Department of the University of Calabar, Nigeria. The animals were treated with varied A. indica seed oil at varied concentrations, periods of exposure and age. Haematological  analyses revealed that models of  packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC), white cell count (WCC) and hemoglobin content (Hb) were not significant. Catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH) were also not significant (p>0.05). Linearity coefficients of the models however appeared to be significant (R2≤0.8000). The mathematical and pictorial models showed slight influence of the test substance on the parameters. The investigation revealed that A. indica seed oil showed no adverse effect on the haematological and antioxidant profile of the animal models at the level of administration, the slight statistical significance could be attributed to other experimental values. A. indica oil seems to be safe on mammalian subjects. More work is recommended on the topic using higher levels of the plant materials at a longer period of exposure.