Effect of ethanol stem extract of homalium letestui on gentamicin-induced kidney Injury in rat

The kidney is a very vital organ that is responsible for regular elimination of unwanted substances from the body. It is frequently exposed to conditions that expose it to damage. There are not enough drugs in the market to protect or treat the kidney against these deleterious conditions. Homalium letestui has been used in traditional medicine as an antidote. This study aims to investigate the nephroprotective activity of ethanol stem extract of Homalium lestetui against gentamicin-induced rat’s kidney injury.

Thirty-six (36) adult male albino rats were used for this study. Animals in group I served as the control with normal saline, group II received gentamicin (100 mg/kg), group III received Silymarin (100 mg/kg), while group IV, V and VI where administered 250, 500 and 750 mg/kg of ethanol stem extract of Homalium letestui along with gentamicin 100 mg/kg for 8 days. The nephroprotective effect of the extract was evaluated by the assay of kidney function parameters such as serum urea, creatinine, electrolytes (K+, Na+, Cl- and HCO-3) and histopathological examination of the kidney.

Homalium letestui caused significant p≤ 0.05 dose-dependent reduction in the level of serum urea, creatinine, and electrolytes in rat’s kidney when compared to the control. The chemical pathological changes were consistent with histopathological observations suggesting marked the nephroprotective effect of the stem extract of H. letestui.

The result of the study suggests that the plant has kidney protective ability which supports its traditional use as an antidote