ABSTRACT

 In Nigeria, Gnetum africanum is used by different communities to prepared various diets and also has been reported to have some nutritional and health benefits with low or no scientific evidence. The aim was to study the immunomodulatory activity of G. africanum ethanol leaf extract in Wistar albino rats. A total of 12 wistar albino rats were used for this study and grouped into 3 (n=4). They were acclimatized for a period of 1 week and fed vital growers mash and water ad libitum. Group 1 (normal control) was administered feed and water ad libitum while group 2 (positive control) was administered pyrogallol and group 3 (treated group) was administered pyrogallol and 400 mg/kg ethanol extract of G. Africanum. The study lasted for a period of 28 days after which they were sacrificed and serum collected for further biochemical assays. Haemagglutination titre, haematological assays and serum antioxidants were assayed using standard methods. Results of the experiment shows a significant (p<0.05) increase in primary and secondary antibodies when the treated group was compared with the positive control while haematological results show a significant (p<0.05) increase in RBC, PCV and HB when the treated group was compared against the positive control. Furthermore, the serum antioxidant assay showed that the treated group expressed significant (p<0.05) increase in catalase and GPx activity and a significant (p<0.05) decrease in MDA concentration when compared with the positive control. In conclusion, G. Africanum can be seen to have immunostimulatory potentials.