ABSTRACT

The effect of 50mg/kg and 100mg/kg of saponin extract of Vernonici

amygdalina. On glucose level lipid profile, relative organ weight and normal

weight of the albino rats were studied. The glucose level reduced non-

significantly (p>O.05) from 114.50± 8.58, 107.25 ± 9.74, 104.50 ± 5.80, 109.50

± 5.00 of the control to 112.25 ±3.59, 106.59 ± 3.70, 99.00 ± 3.46, 67.75 ±

45.32, andl4l.50 ± 48.52, 115.25 ± 10.53, 110.00 ± 3.37, 86.00 ± 4.69 rat fed

50mg/kg and 100mg/kg of saponin extract of Vernonia amygdalina for the First,

Second, third and fourth week of the administration. The Triglyceride, Total

cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol reduced from 126.50 ± 4.03,

130.83 ± 5.00, 56.26 ± 4.06, 49.27 ± 3.02 of the control to 92.82 ± 3.26, 95.78

+4.00, 49.75 + 6.91, 27.35 ± 4.00 and 79.80 ± 5.04, 83.52 + 4.43, 37.46 ± 8.14,

30.54 ± 7.32 of the rats that received low dose and high dose of the extract

respectively.The relative organ weight of the spleen showed a non significant

(p> 0.05) increase from 0.008±0.002 in control group to 0.011±0.003 and

0.011±0.002 of the low and high dose of the saponin extract respectively while

the relative organ weight of the liver and intestine showed a significant (p>

0.05) increase from 0.03 1± 0.005, 0.093±0.023 of the control to 0.048 ± 0.005,

0.138±0.038 and 0.054 ±0.015, 0.138+0.022 rats fed 50mg/kg and 100mg/kg of

the extract respectively. The relative kidney and heart weight showed no

significant changes. The weight gain/loss over the 28 day period was 143.36 ±

10.19, 116.18 ± 1.65, 106.18 ± 1.47, 101.05 ± 1.47of the control to 99.65 ±

8.33, 103.51 ± 13.46, 78.34 ± 23.21, 101.69 ± 7.32, 118.65 ± 10.51, 98.54 ±

6.43, 95.31 ± 10.51, 92.89 ± 8.86, 50mg/kg andloomg/kg of the extract

respectively. Saponin extract from Vernonia amygdalina is said to have

hypoglycaemic and hypolipidernic properties which also reduces body weight

with little or no effect on the relative organ weight.