Rauwolfia vomitoria (RV) has potent sedative effect, which may result in severe unpleasant consequences if not controlled. This necessitated this study on the effect of Gongronema latifolium (GL) on RV-induced behaviour, biochemical activities, and histomorphology of the cerebral cortex. Eighteen male Wistar rats of average weight 266 g were grouped into three (1–3). Group 1 was the control administered 0.5 mL of Tween®20, while groups 2 and 3 were administered 150 mg/kg of RV, and a combination of 150 mg/kg of RV and 200 mg/kg of GL (RV+GL), respectively for seven days. Twelve hours after treatments, open field neurobehavioral test was carried-out and the animals euthanized. Their sera were analyzed, and their cerebral cortices routinely processed by H&E method. There was lower (p<0.05) ambulatory, rearing and freezing activities in the RV group, while there was no difference in aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities, as well as serum cholesterol and triglycerides levels in all the groups. Cerebral cortical neurohistology of RV and RV+GL groups showed most neurons appearing hypertrophied with pyknotic nuclei in some, and less cellular population compared with the control group. RV produces sedative behaviour, and cerebral cortical neurohistological changes, which GL combination may help modulate.

KEY WORDS: Rauwolfia vomitoria; Gongronema latifolium; Behavior; Enzymes; Lipid; Cerebral cortex; Histomorphology.

EKONG, M. B.; PETER, A. I.; EKPENE, U. U.; BASSEY, E. I.; ELUWA, M. A.; AKPANABIATU, M. I. & EKANEM, T. B. Gongronema latifolium modulates Rauwolfia vomitoria-induced behaviour and histomorphology of the cerebral cortex. Int. J. Morphol., 33(1):77-84, 2015.