ABSTRACT

Plants have been the basis for medical treatments through much of human history and such traditional medicine is still widely in use today such as the leaves of Eniilici sonca. l'here!bre, this study aimed to evaluate the ameliorating effect of n-hexane leave extract of Emilia sonchfolia in rats exposed to sodium arsenite. Male wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of seven animals each. Group I had univ feed and distilled water, Group 2, 3 and 4 were treated with extract (250mg/kg body weight), sodium arsenite (2.5mg/kg body weight) and sodium arsenite (2.5mg/kg body weight) and extract (250mg/kg body weight) respectively. The animals were sacrificed after the experimental period of two weeks. In AST, ALT, ALP and GGT activity, a significant (p<O.05) increase was observed when the group 2 (extract alone) was compared to group one (control). A siwiflcant (p<O.OS) increase in ALT, AST, ALP, GGT and Total bilirubin was observed in group 3 when compared to group one which indicates liver damage, while a Significant (p<O.OS) decrease in the activities of serum enzymes (AST, All, .'\LP and GGT), antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx activities and GSH) \Vu observed in group 4 (sodium arsenite + extract) when compared with group 3 (sodium arsenite). Significant (p<O.OS) decrease in SOD, CAT, GPx activities and GSI I were observed in group 3 when compared to group one. A significant (p<0.05) decrease in the level of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx activities and (iSi 1) was observed when comparing group 3 (sodium arsenite) to group 1 (control). Comparing group 2 to group 1, it shows that the extract is not toxic to the animal based on the dose administered to them. From this experiment, it is concluded that the n-hexane leaf extract of Emilia sonchifolia showed an ameliorating elect on biochemical indices of rats exposed to sodium arsenite.