HEPATOCURATIVE AND ANTIOXIDANT EFFECT OF ETHYLACETATE AND N-BUTANOL FRACTIONS OF Detarium microcarpum STEM BARK IN CCl4 INDUCED LIVER DAMAGE IN WISTAR RATS

Abstract
The stem bark of Detarium microcarpum (Guill and Perr.) is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of liver disease in middle belt region of Nigeria. To substantiate this folkloric claim, ethyl-acetate and n-butanol fractions of Detarium microcarpum stem bark was investigated for its hepatocurative and antioxidant effect in CCl4 induced liver damage in rats. Aqueous extraction was carried out on Detarium microcarpum stem bark and the crude extract was further fractionated sequentially using ethyl-acetate and n-butanol solvents. In the in-vitro studies, phytochemical screening of the crude extract showed the presence of phenolic, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids and glycosides while total phenolic content assay, total flavonoid content assay, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Reducing power and H2O2 free radical scavenging activities were carried out on ethyl-acetate and n-butanol fractions. The total phenol content for n-butanol and ethyl acetate fractions were 2.97±0.31 and 11.54±0.20 mg/g Gallic acid equivalents while total flavonoid content were 234.42±0.71 and 45.76±2.59 mg/g quercetin equivalents. Ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest DPPH free radical scavenging activity with 65.31% inhibition while n-butanol showed the highest reducing power and H2O2 free radical scavenging activities with 65.31% and 52.55% which informed the choice of n-butanol fraction for further studies. In the invivo studies, the LD50 of n-butanol fraction of Detarium microcarpum stem bark was >5000 mg/kg body weight of rats. CCl4 (1ml/kg body weight) as a 1:1(v/v) solution in olive oil was used to induce liver damage followed by subsequent treatment with nbutanol fraction of Detarium microcarpum stem bark at three different doses (100, 150 and 200 mg/kg bw/day) while silymarin (100 mg/kg bw/day) was used as standard drug for 28 days. The liver weight was significantly (p<0.05) increased in the negative control group when compared with the CCl4 treated groups. There was significant (p<0.05) reduction in the serum activities of alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), direct and indirect bilirubin for CCl4 treated groups compared to the negative control group. Total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) in the negative control group were reduced but not significantly (p>0.05) compared to the CCl4 treated groups. In endogenous antioxidant activities, there was significant (p<0.05) reduction of malondialdehyde (MDA) in CCl4 treated groups compared to the negative control group. A significant (p<0.05) increase was also observed in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities of CCl4 treated groups compared to the negative control group. These results may suggest hepatocurative and antioxidant effects of Detarium microcarpum stem bark in CCl4 induced liver damaged animals.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN BIOCHEMISTRY. DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY FACULTY OF SCIENCE AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA NIGERIA.
Keywords
HEPATOCURATIVE,, ANTIOXIDANT EFFECT,, ETHYL - ACETATE,, N-BUTANOL FRACTIONS,, Detarium microcarpum,, STEM BARK,, CCl4 INDUCED LIVER DAMAGE,, WISTAR RATS,
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