28Jun 2017

HEPATOTOXICITY OF THE AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF THE ROOTS OF VERNONIA AMYGDALINA DELILE (ASTERACEAE) IN RATS.

  • Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
  • Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic and Allied Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, P.M.B. 102119, Makurdi, Nigeria.
  • 5, Akpo Street Housing Estate, Feggae, Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria
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Conflicting scientific reports have trailed the hepatotoxicity of the roots of Vernonia amygdalina in animal studies. The study investigated the toxic effect of the aqueous extract of the roots of V. amygdalina on the integrity of the liver cells of adult female albino rats. LD50 was determined using the Lorke?s method (>3200 mg/kg, p.o. in 24 h). Biochemical assay of liver enzymes viz. aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and bilirubin (BIL) using graded doses (100, 500, 1000, 1500 mg/kg, p.o.) of the extract demonstrated a significant (P < 0.05) and dose dependent increase in these biochemical markers. The weight of the animals progressively decreased over the 14-day period of the experiment. The study, therefore, concluded that V. amygdalina possesses a strong hepatotoxic effect, and thus may explain why the roots of the plant are not very common ethnomedically.

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[Patience C. Nwonu, Chukwunwike N.S. Nwonu and Benson C. Aniche. (2017); HEPATOTOXICITY OF THE AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF THE ROOTS OF VERNONIA AMYGDALINA DELILE (ASTERACEAE) IN RATS. Int. J. of Adv. Res. 5 (Jun). 2161-2166] (ISSN 2320-5407). www.journalijar.com

Chukwunwike N.S. Nwonu
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic and Allied Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Benue State University, P.M.B. 102119, Makurdi, Nigeria.

DOI:

Article DOI: 10.21474/IJAR01/4655      
DOI URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/4655

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