Effects of <i>Piliostigma thonningii<i> ethyl acetate leaf extract on aluminium-cum extract treated wistar rats

Abstract

Recent research findings extol the medicinal significance of the different parts of Piliostigma thonningii. The present study investigated the hepatoprotective effect of its ethyl acetate leaf extract against AlCl3-induced hepatocellular derangement in mature male rats. Thirty male Wistar rats (mean weight, 207 ± 11.01g) were randomly assigned to three groups: a control group treated with 0.5 ml of olive oil (vehicle for the extract) and 1 ml of saline (vehicle for the toxicant), a second group treated with 0.5 mg of AlCl₃ (toxicant) per kg of body weight (bwt) and a third group treated with 0.5 mg of Alcl₃ and 250 mg of P. thonningii extract per kg of body weight. Doses were administered for a period of 35 days at 24 h interval. Enzyme indices of liver functional and physiological integrity were analyzed using clinical test kits. The data obtained showed that rats treated with AlCl₃ expressed significant decrease in mean body weight gain (p<0.05) as well as increased serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) relative to the control group. AlCl₃ also caused a significant increase in the absolute weight of the liver of rats. The AlCl₃-induced derangements were almost completely reversed in rats co-treated with P. thonningii ethyl acetate leaf extract. Histopathological examination of thin sections of liver of rats in the different groups showed massive hepatocellular damage in rats exposed to AlCl₃ alone compared to rats co-treated with the extract. Conclusively, the current study indicates that P. thonningii ethyl acetate leaf extract at the dose administered (250 mg/kg bwt po) protected rats against AlCl₃-induced liver damage.

Keywords: Piliostigma thonningii, Ethyl acetate, Aluminium chloride, Liver damage, Histopathology

Animal Research International (2012) 9(2): 1579 – 1584