Protective effects of methanol extract of <i>Asystasia gangetica</i> leaves on monosodium glutamate (MSG) induced renal injury in rats

Abstract

This study evaluated the nephroprotective and curative effects of methanol extract of Asystasia gangetica leaves on monosodium glutamate (MSG) challenged rats. The study adopted a completely randomized experimental design comprising 9 groups of rats. Group 1 served as the normal control, group 2 was MSG control, group 3 was MSG induced treated with silymarin. Groups 4 and 5 received only methanol extract of A. gangetica leaves, groups 6 and 7 (nephroprotective) were pre-treated with methanol extract of A. gangetica leaves for 7 days before receiving 8 g/kg MSG, while groups 8 and 9 (nephrocurative) received 8 g/kg MSG and treated with methanol extract of A. gangetica leaves for 14 days. Each of the treatments was given to the rats orally. The MSG caused significant elevation (p<0.05) of serum creatinine, urea, sodium ion, potassium ion, chloride ion and bicarbonate ion levels in the MSG control when compared with the normal control. The methanol extract of A. gangetica leaves had no significant effects (p>0.05) on the serum urea, creatinine and electrolyte levels of the extract control groups relative to the normal control. The nephroprotective and curative groups treated with graded doses of methanol extract of A. gangetica leaves had significantly reduced (p<0.05) creatinine, urea, sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate levels with mild alterations in the kidney histo-architecture relative to the MSG control. The findings of this study indicated that methanol extract of A. gangetica leaves possesses nephroprotective and curative effects and could protect the kidney from the adverse effects of nephrotoxic agents.