EVALUATION OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF VERNONIA AMYGDALINA ON THE HISTOPATHOLOGY OF THE LIVER OF WISTAR RATS
Obeten, K.E., Ujong G. O, & Adoga M. O.
Department of Anatomy and Forensic Anthropology, Cross River University of Technology –Okuku, Cross River State
Department of Human Physiology, Cross River University of Technology-Okuku, Cross River State
Department of Radiography and Radiological Science, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
Email: kobe@crutech.edu.ng
Abstract
Bitter leaf (Vernonia Amygdalina Deliile) (VA), family of Asteraceae is a plant that is consumed locally as food and serves important enthno-medicinal uses. It grows throughout tropical Africa to a height of about 1-5 meters and it is indigenous to many West African countries. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of aqueous extract of Vernoniaamygdalina in Wistarrats Twelve’s Adult Wistarrats weighing 89-106g were divided into three groups of four rats each. Groups 2 and 3 were administered orally with VernoniaAmygdalina aqueous extract at 0.2mg/kgBW and 0.4mg/kgBW respectively for 15 days. Group 1 was control and received 0.4ml of normal saline. The effects of aqueous extract of Vernonia Amygdalina on the body weight, liver enzyme were evaluated as well as liver architecture. After the end of administration (day 15), the weight were taking before sacrificed. After sacrifice, liver were excised and fixed in 10% formal saline, then processed for rapid routine paraffin embedding. In this research, it was observed that oral administration of aqueous extract of Vernonia Amygdalina resulted in significant increase (P<0.05) in body weight. Serum chemistry revealed significant increase (P<0.05) in ALT (alanin aminotransferase), ALP (Alkaline Phosphase) and AST (Asparate Amino Transferase) in animals treated with 0.2mg and 0.4mg of the extract relative to the control. From the result of this study, it may be concluded that the administration of aqueous extract of Vernonia Amygdalina is not toxic to wistar rats at the dose administered.
Keywords: Bitter Leaf, Liver, Wistar Rat, Liver Enzymes, AST