World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

AMELIORATIVE EFFECT OF ALLIUM SATIVUM AND JUSTICIA CARNEA EXTRACTS CO-ADMINISTRATION ON ACUTE CADMIUM CHLORIDE-INDUCED CHANGES ON LIVER FUNCTION PARAMETERS OF ALBINO RATS

Okutu Jackson B.* and Onitsha Enebrayi N.

ABSTRACT

Background: Cadmium is a dangerous environmental and industrial pollutant of growing concern that negatively affects several tissues and organs in human and animals. This study investigated the ameliorating effect of combined aqueous extracts of Allium sativum and Justicia carnea on cadmium-induced hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress in female albino rats. Methods: Twenty-five (25) female albino rats weighing between 90 - 160g were randomly divided into five (5) groups (A –E) of five (5) each. Group A rats were gavaged with 10mL/kg body weight of normal saline while groups B – E were gavaged orally with 25mg/kg body weight of cadmium chloride for seven consecutive days. Groups C, D and E were also treated with the aqueous extract of Allium sativum, Justicia carnea and a combination of both extracts respectively daily for the next fourteen days. After the last day of treatment, the animals were sacrifice and blood samples collected via cardiac puncture for determination of cadmium (Cd2+) (by atomic absorption spectrophometry), liver function parameters: Total protein (TP), Albumin (ALB), Total bilirubin (TB), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Molondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Glutathione peroxide (GPx) using spectrophotometric method. Results: The result showed a statistically (p?0.05) reduction in the level of total protein and albumin (66.80 ± 2.77 Vs 74.80 ± 3.83; 33.98 ± 2.33 Vs 41.86 ± 2.07 ), and a non-significant and a non-significant (p?0.05) increase in the concentration of AST, ALP, and TB (30.60 ± 25.52 Vs 9.60 ± 3.65; 194.60 ± 49.00 Vs154.00 ± 67.94; 10.48 ± 3.94 Vs 7.500 ± 3.03 respectively ) in the cadmium intoxicated rats compared to the control. ALT (115.60 ± 19.64 Vs 24.20 ± 13.14) was significantly (p?0.05) increased in the cadmium treated group compared to the control. SOD (194.60 ± 13.54 Vs 249.40 ± 9.79) and GPx (7789.60 ± 214.64 Vs 9124.80 ± 589.35) were significantly reduced while MDA level (6.84 ± 0.29 Vs 2.93 ± 0.09) was significantly elevated in the cadmium intoxicated rats. However, post treatment of the rats with the extracts of Allium sativum, Justicia carnea and a combination of both extracts to groups C, D and E respectively had a mitigating effect on cadmium induced hepatotoxicity. This is reflected by an improvement in the levels of the studied parameters when compared with the cadmium treated group. Conclusion: Acute exposure to cadmium chloride caused alterations in some liver function parameters and oxidative stress markers in male albino rats. Allium satium and Justicia carnea either used alone or co-administered had an ameliorating effect on cadmium toxicity. However, coadministration of both extracts exerts a synergistic effecton the adverse effect of cadmium.

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