Effects of Ethanolic Leaves Extract of Irvingia gabonensis on Arsenic Trioxide-Induced Liver damage in Wistar rats

Abstract

The toxicity of drugs and other related agents attracts considerable attention from basic scientists to clinicians. Humankind has been passionate about the availability of cheap and readily available agent against organotoxicity. Therefore this paper investigated the effects of ethanolic leaves extract of Irvingia gabonensis on arsenic trioxide-induced liver damage in Wistar rats using appropriate standard methods. The results show administration of arsenic trioxide caused significant (P˂0.05) serum increase in the activities of alanine aminotransferases and alkaline phosphatase (ALT and ALP) of the Wistar rats. There was significant (p˃0.05) decrease in the activities of serum aspartate aminotransferases (AST) after the administration of arsenic trioxide. There were also significant (p˂0.05) reduction in the serum level of total protein, albumin and globulin and statistically significant (p˃0.05) increase in serum level of total bilirubin after administration of arsenic trioxide to the rats. This suggests damage to liver by arsenic trioxide, which are further supported by the histopathological findings such as periportal infiltrates of inflammatory cells, vascular ulceration, ductal epitheliosis and focal necrosis. Administration of extract of Irvingia gabonensis ameliorated both the histopathological and biochemical manifestation in the liver. In conclusion, the results from the histopathological and biochemical analyses suggested damage caused by arsenic trioxide and the potential of extract of Irvingia gabonensis in ameliorating the liver damage.