Prevention of Carbon Tetrachloride-induced Hepatic Steatosis and Cellular Damage by Aqueous Extract of Dacryodes edulis Seeds in Wistar Rats
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Abstract
The protective effect of the aqueous extract of Dacryodes edulis seeds on the liver of rats exposed to carbon tetrachloride was investigated. Thirty female albino rats of Wistar strain were randomly allocated to six groups consisting of five rats each. Group A served as control. Groups B-D were given increasing oral doses (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight respectively) of Dacryodes edulis extract daily for two weeks prior to the administration of a single dose of CCl4 (3 ml/kg body weight) on the fourteenth day. Group E was given only Dacryodes edulis extract (1000 mg/kg body weight) daily for two weeks, while group F received only a single dose of CCl4 on day 14. The extract was found to possess hepatoprotective properties as seen in the significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the activities of the enzymes alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase in the plasma of the animals treated with the plant extract when compared to the group administered CCl4 only. The extract also inhibited cholesterol and triacylglycerol accumulation in the liver. The hepatoprotective properties of Dacryodes edulis observed in this study may be related to its high content of antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids and alkaloids previously reported. The study represents a novel attempt at exploring the medicinal potential of the seeds of D. edulis which are typically discarded after eating the fleshy pulp.
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