Effect of repeated administration of Damiana on selected kidney functions of male rats

Abstract

The effect of repeated oral administration of Damiana, an aphrodisiac, on selected renal function indices of male rats for 20 days was investigated. Male rats were orally administered with appropriate volume corresponding to human therapeutic dose of 3.6mg/kg body weight of diamiana at 24hour intervals. The effects on serum levels of potassium and sodium creatinine and urea were evaluated 24hours after days 1, 5, 10 and 20 daily doses. The control rats were treated like the test group, except that they were administered with 1ml of distilled water. Compared with the control, damiana administration resulted in significant decrease in serum K⁺, Na⁺ and creatinine concentrations (P<0.05) while there was significant increase in serum protein and urea concentrations throughout the experimental period (P<0.05). This findings suggest that the administration of damiana has altered the kidney function parameters investigated, possibly by hampering the normal cellular functions of the kidney both at the glomerular and tubular levels, thereby adversely affecting the normal intra and intercellular transfer of ions and metabolites.

Keywords: Damiana, aphrodisiac, repeated, administration, function indices, kidney

The Tropical Journal of Health Sciences Vol. 13(2) 2006: 20-23