ABSTRACT

The study aimed at investigating the effect of ethanol extract of Gouania Longipetala leaves On the serum electrolyte levels of acetaminophen-intoxicated albino rats. The serum electrolytes evaluated were calcium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, sodium and phosphate ions. Adult male albino rats were randomly assigned into five (5) groups of five (5) rats, each hand-treated as follows: Group 1: Normal (control); Group 2: Acetaminophen Overclose at 1 .5mg; Group 3: Acetaminophen overdose + 200mg extract; Group 4: Acetaminophen overdose + 600mg extract; Group 5: Acetaminophen overdose + 1,000mg extract. On the fifteenth (15t1) day. blood was obtained from the animals by cardiac puncture, and separated to obtain sera for electrolyte determination. There was a significant (p<0.05) increase in the serum calcium ion level of' the treatment groups (paracetamol + extract) when compared to the control and paracetamol groups. and then a dose dependent decrease among the treatment groups. 'The results showed a significant (p<0.05) decrease in the serum potassium ion levels of the treatment groups (paracetamol + extract) when compared to the control group, but a dose dependent increase among the treatment groups, which still ended up being much lower than the control group. The results showed a significant (p<O.05) increase in the serum sodium ion levels of the treatment groups (paracetamol + extract) when compared to the control group, as well as further dose dependent increase among the treatment groups. The results showed a significant (p<I).05) increase in the serum chloride levels of the paracetamol group when compared to the control groups (according the ANOVA analysis in the appendix), and then a significant (po) decrease in the treatment groups (paracetamol + extract) when compared to the paracetamol group. The results showed no significant (p<0.05) difference in the serum phosphate levels of the treatment groups when compared to the paracetamol group and the normal control group (according to the ANOVA analysis), and further insignificant (p<0.05) dose-dependent difference amongst the treatment groups. The results from this study qualitatively showed that oral administration of the ethanol extract of Gouania longipetala has some slight but significant effects on the levels and concentrations of some of the serum electrolytes (such as calcium ion, potassium ion, sodium ion and chloride), of acetaminophen-intoxicated rats, while exhibiting no significant effect on the others (such as phosphate and bicarbonate). No mortality was observed in the acute administration of Gouania longipetala proving that the extract normally orally consumed is relatively safe. Gouania longipetala extract therefore, possesses a slight hut useful potential of balancing the abnormal serum electrolyte levels which could result from acetaminophen overdose, except of course for the increase in serum sodium ion level which could lead to high blood pressure and hypertension. Hence, this study poses a justification of the traditional use of Gouania longipetala, though not in cases of hypertension, or sodium toxicity.