INFLUENCE OF DIETARY SPINACH (AMARANTHUS HYBRIDUS LINN) AND BITTERLEAF (VERNONIA AMYGDALINA) ON THE BLOOD LEVEL OF ORALLY ADMINISTERED CHLOROQUINE IN THE RABBIT
INFLUENCE OF DIETARY SPINACH (AMARANTHUS HYBRIDUS LINN) AND BITTERLEAF (VERNONIA AMYGDALINA) ON THE BLOOD LEVEL OF ORALLY ADMINISTERED CHLOROQUINE IN THE RABBIT
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Date
1979
Authors
AYODELE, JEROME TOLA
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Abstract
Blood level data are widely employed to avaluate the
absorption route of drugs as a function of dosage form, route
of administration and similar variables. In the majority of
individuals, the biological properties of a drug such as
apparent volume of distribution, elimination and activity
are usually unchanged so that differences in blood levels
are a direct reflection of differences in absorption rate.
Food does influence the absorption of some drugs and
this may be due to absorption of drug onto food components
chelation of drug by polyvalent metal ions or complexation
with proteins in the food, Food is also known to reduce delay and increase the absorption of some drugs.
Vegetables like African spinach (Tete) and bitter leaf
(Ewuro) are commonly consumed and Nigeria being a malaria endemic
area, chloroquine in its various forms is also taken frequently*
It will therefore be interesting to see what influrence these
vegetables may produce on the blood level of chloroquine when
orally administered to rabbits feeding on these vegetables.
The animals were fed ad libitum their normal diet containing
25% of the powdered leaves for 7 days with free access
to water before oral dosing with chloroquine. A double dose
was initially given followed by single doses at 6 and 2I4. hours
after.
Following the last oral dose blood samples were obtained
through vein puncture, hemolyzed and assayed spectrophotometrically
for chloroquine.
Results obtained showed higher initial blood levels
in those rabbits fed on bitter leaf and spinach compared to the
control. The peak in the animals fed on normal diet, bitter
leaf and spinach were observed at 3,2, and 4 hours respectively.
The peak in the animals fed on spinach was one hour delay
compared to the peak in the animals fed on normal diet. The
levels at the eighth hour were almost the same as the initial blood level.
It was also noticed that the presence of bitter leaf
has resulted in an early peak which how-ever is not significantly
different in magnitude as compared to the control which peaked
at 3 hours. Nevertheless the total amount of ehloroquine passing
into the blood was lower in the animals fed on bitter leaf.
With respect to rabbits fed on spinach there was
a delay in the peak. , The peak was not significantly different
from that of the control when compared. However the total
amount of chloroquine in the blood was higher than in the
control. In terms of maintaining high chloroquine blood level,
spinach diet appears to be superior to normal fed and more so
to bitter leaf.
Description
A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ANALYTICAL.
CHEMISTRY
Keywords
INFLUENCE, DIETARY SPINACH, AMARANTHUS HYBRIDUS LINN, BITTERLEAF, VERNONIA AMYGDALINA, BLOOD LEVEL, BLOOD, ORALLY ADMINISTERED CHLOROQUINE, RABBIT