ABSTRACT

The ever increasing incidence of liver toxicity had always been attributed to environmental and ingested toxins. However, herbal remedies have been proffered as a promising cure and offers a better option in the remediation of hepatotoxicity. This study was designed to evaluate the hepato-curative effects of methanol extract of Asystasia gangetica leaves on monosodium glutamate induced male Wistar albino rats. The parameters reviewed were alanine arninotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, albumin concentration and liver histomorphology. The experiment was carried out using twenty male Wistar albino rats. These twenty experimental rats were divided into five groups with 4 rats in each group. The normal control was given distilled water for 14 days. The positive control, group 2 was given monosodium glutamate suspension, 8g/kg body weight on days 7 and 14 respectively without treatment. Group 3 rats received monosodium glutamate suspension, 8g/kg per body weight and silymarin was administered as treatment for 14 days. Groups 4 and 5 received monosodium glutamate suspension on the first day and treatment with the extract commenced after 24 hours for 14 days. Group 4 was treated with a low dose of the extract, 200mg/kg body weight while group 5 was treated with a high dose 600mg/kg body weight of extract. Eighteen male Wistar albino rats were used for acute toxicity study. They were divided into phase one and phase two respectively with nine mice in each group. These were further divided into three groups. There were three mice in each group. The methanol extract of Asyslasia gangetica leaves was administered to each mouse. No death was recorded within 24 hours. The experiment was conducted following standard analytical protocols. Blood sample and liver was taken from each rat for assay and histomorphological analysis. Liver enzymes in all the normal control rats were significantly (p< 0.05) lower than those of group 2 rats. All group 2 rats had the highest levels of liver enzyme concentration, which is significant (p< 0.05) increase. All the rats of group 3 showed significant (p<O.05) decrease when compared to group 2. Groups 4 and 5 also showed significant (p<O.OS) decrease when compared to group 2. Protein and albumin levels were also observed to be high in normal rats, significant (p<O.05) increase than in group 2 rats that were induced with monosodium glutamate suspension but untreated. All group2 rats had the lowest protein and albumin levels respectively, this significant (p<0.05) decrease indicates hepatotoxicity. Groups 3, 4 and 5 showed significant (p< 0.05) increase compared to group 2. Total bilirubin and direct bilirubin concentrations of all group 2 rats showed significant (p<O.05) increase and were the highest in all because an impaired liver may not carryout conjugation. In liver histomorphology, normal and treated rats showed normal hepatic lobules. However, severe infiltrations of mononuclear inflammatory leucocytes were observed in the liver architecture of silymarin treated rats, that is group 3. Group 2 rats also showed normal hepatocytes arranged in interconnected rods. However, severe infiltrations of mononuclear inflammatory leucocytes around portal triads were observed. Conclusively, these imply that monosodium glutamate actually causes liver toxicity while the extract obviously cured thecondition.