Effects of aqueous extract of banana (Musa Spp) blossom and silymarin ameliorates on lead acetate induced hepatorenal toxicity in albino Wistar rats

Abstract

This study was on the effect of banana blossom (Musa acuminate) against lead acetate induced hepatorenal toxicity in albino Wistar rats. Thirty albino Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups of 5 rats each. Group A served as the control group. Group B received 150mg/kg of lead acetate solution. Group C received 150mg/kg of lead acetate and 200mg/kg banana blossom aqueous extract. Group D received 150mg/kg of lead acetate and 400mg/kg banana blossom. Group E received 150mg/kg of lead acetate plus 100mg/kg Silymarin. Group F received banana blossom only. Lead acetate administration was for 14 days followed by banana blossom and silymarin treatment for 21 days. Animals were sacrificed by injecting them with ketamine and their blood samples collected by cardiac puncture in plain EDTA bottles. Kidney and liver were harvested and fixed in neutral buffered formalin and processed for Hematoxylin and eosin. The results of this study showed that banana blossom was able to significantly (p<0.05) increased body weight while kidney and liver to body weight relative ratio were not affected. Lead acetate significantly increased aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity while banana blossom and silymarin was seen to significantly reduced the increased caused by lead acetate. Changes observed in Kidney function parameter were not statistically significant at p<0.05. Histological observation showed that lead acetate was able to cause severe widespread degeneration and disruptions of the kidney glomerulus and glomerular tubules. It also caused disruption of the hepatocytes and sinusoids while banana blossom and silymarin was able to ameliorate the effect of lead acetate. Banana blossom may have protected the kidney and liver to some degree from acute and chronic degeneration caused by lead acetate. Banana blossom can serve as alternate antioxidant against free radicals with relatively no morphological hazard to the kidney and liver at doses used in this study.