Effects of diet containing Garcinia Kola seeds on the liver of adult male wistar rats.

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the in vivo effect of Garcinia kola (G. kola) seeds on the histology, and glycogen storage action of the liver of adult male albino wistar rats. Forty (40) adult male albino wistar rats were used in this study. They were procured from the Animal House of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria Nsukka. They were acclamatised to the conditions of the Animal House of the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu. They were divided into four (4) groups of ten (10) each. Groups I, II, and III were fed with growers mash mixed with G. kola powder at 30%, 20%, and 10% w/w respectively. Group IV (control) was fed ad libitum with normal diet of growers mash produced by Top Feeds® Plc. The experiment lasted for ten (10) weeks. At the end of the experimental period, the animals were euthanised by chloroform inhalation and their liver dissected out and processed for H&E, and Best Carmine stains. The cell morphology of the hepatocytes was not deranged due to consumption of G. kola seed. The Best Carmine stained slides showed a dose dependent increase in the glycogen storage activity of the liver. The implications of these changes are discussed.