Protective role of methanol extract of <i>Carpolobia lutea</i> root against cadmium-induced changes in biochemical and antioxidant indices in liver of male Wistar rats

Abstract

Oxidative stress and impaired antioxidant system have been implicated in the pathophysiology of various disease conditions associated with Cadmium (Cd) toxicity. Carpolobia lutea (C. lutea), has been shown to possess antioxidant properties. Carpolobia lutea root was obtained in Ijare via Akure, authenticated at Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria. Methanolic extract of Carpolobia lutea (MCL) was obtained by Soxhlet extraction and subjected to Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify chemical compounds in the extract. Thirty male Wistar rats (150-170 g) were used in this study and treated as follows: Control (1 mL/kg body weight (bw) distilled water), Cd (2 mg/kg bw), Cd+MCL (2 mg/kg+100 mg/kg bw), Cd+MCL (2 mg/kg+200 mg/kg bw), MCL (100 mg/kg bw), MCL (200 mg/kg bw). The administration of C. lutea was done orally for eight weeks, and a single dose of 2 mg/kg Cd was administered intraperitoneally. Liver levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA) and histology were assessed. The GC-MS result showed the presence of 21 compounds. The C. lutea extract significantly reduced (P<0.05) ALP, AST and MDA while a significant increase was observed in SOD and CAT activities which were initially altered by administration of cadmium. The C. lutea extract also significantly attenuated the histopathological alterations of the liver rats. C. lutea root extract attenuated cadmium-induced toxicity which are indications of its antioxidant potential and may be responsible for its protecting effect against coadmium-induced liver damage.