Attenuation of Biochemical, Haematological and Histological Indices of Alloxan Toxicity in Male Rats by Aqueous Extract of Fadogia agrestis (Schweinf. Ex Hiern) Stem

The effects of aqueous extract of Fadogia agrestis stem at the doses of 18, 36, and 72 mg/kg body weight on alloxan-induced toxicity was investigated in Wistar rats. In total, 35 rats of both sexes (132.80±7.22g) were randomized into five groups (A-E): animals in group A received 0.5 ml of distilled water orally on daily basis for 15 days while the alloxanized rats in groups B, C, D and E also received orally 0.5 ml of distilled water and same volume of the extract corresponding to 18, 36, and 72 mg/kg body weight, respectively after which levels of some biomolecules were determined. Administration of alloxan significantly (P<0.05) increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine ratio, levels of serum total and conjugated bilirubin, uric acid, Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Cl- as well as activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the serum whereas activities of ALP, AST and ALT in the liver and kidney, erythrocytes and leucocytes indices, total protein, globulin and PO42- levels as well as albumin/globulin ratio decreased (P<0.05) significantly. Alloxan also caused severe necrosis of the tubular epithelial cells in the nephrons and degeneration of the hepatocytes. Although all doses of the plant extract significantly mitigated these changes; the reversals at 72 mg/kg body weight of the extract compared well (P>0.05) with their respective non-alloxanized distilled water treated control animals in 78% of the parameters investigated. Overall, the aqueous extract of Fadogia agrestis stem attenuated the alloxan treatment related biochemical, haematological and histological changes in the rats with the 72 mg/kg body weight achieving total reversal in 18 out of the 23 parameters investigated.