Vernonia amygdalina Leaf Extract Protects Against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity and Nephrotoxicity: Possible Potential in the Management of Liver and Kidney Diseases

Abstract

The rising prevalence of liver and kid-ney diseases is worrisome and constitutes a major threat to public health. The present study investigates the medicinal potentials of Ver-nonia amygdalina leaves in the management of liver and kidney diseases. Albino rats were randomly divided into five groups of 5 animals each. All experimental animals, except group I, were exposed to 3 ml/kg b.w of CCl4 and admin-istered different treatments. Groups III, IV and V each were treated with 50 mg/kg b.w, 100 mg/kg b.w. of bitter leaf extract and 100 mg/kg b.w. of silymarin respectively. Group II animals were left untreated after exposure to toxicant. Activ-ities of creatine kinase (CK), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), as well as level of urea, uric acid and bilirubin were deter-mined in the serum and tissue homogenates. Lipid profile as well as activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were also determined. Exposure to CCl4 resulted in signif-icant increase in CK, AST, ALP, ALT as well as bilirubin, urea and uric acid relative to the con-trol. Lipid profile was deranged, activities of SOD and CAT were markedly inhibited and level of GSH significantly depleted. However, treatment with V. amygdalina reversed the toxic trend in a dose dependent manner comparable to animals treated with silymarin. In conclusion, V. amygd-alina leaf extract restored deranged lipid profile, distorted histoarchitecture as well as liver and kidney function markers. Hence, the plant is a potential candidate for the management of liver and kidney diseases.