scholarly journals Hepatotherapeutic Tendency of Citrullus lanatus Rind Methanolic Extract on Liver Markers in Male Wistar Rats

Author(s):  
Ilochi Ogadinma ◽  
Chuemere Arthur Nwafor ◽  
Bassy Samuel

It is a common practice to dispose the peel or rind of fruits. Interestingly, some parts of fruits humans find unacceptable to eat actually possess bioactive nutrients that can be used for medicinal purposes.  The effect of methanolic extract of Citrullus lanatus rind on liver function in normal male wistar rats was studied. 24 wistar rats with body weight between 150-250 g were used for this study. The animals were randomly divided into four groups, with 6 rats in each. Group 1 contained the control given normal saline and feed; group 2, low dose, 50mg/kg of methanolic extract of  Citrullus lanatus rind was administered, group 3 and 4 were administered medium and high dose of Citrullus lanatus rind extract 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg respectively. The Citrullus lanatus rind extract was administered via orogastric route and the experiment lasted for a period of 56 days. Blood samples were collected by left ventricular cardiac puncture for liver function test at the last day of the experiment.  The outcome of this research revealed that medium and high dose administration of citrullus lanatus rind significantly (p≤0.05) reduced the serum level of liver enzymes alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase and also total protein.There was a non-significant (P≤0.05) change in serum total bilirubin and albumin when all doses were compared to the control. Prolonged and moderate ingestion of Citrullus lanatus rind may be of benefit in regulating blood level of liver enzymes; hence, this part of the fruit has therapeutic value.

Author(s):  
Nyejirime Young Wike ◽  
Mobisson Samuel Kelechi ◽  
Godspower Onyeso ◽  
Okekem Amadi ◽  
Elizabeth Eepho Krukru

Citrullus lanatus thumb (Cucurbitaceae) commonly called watermelon is widely consumed in this part of the world as food and medicine. This study was carried out to examine the effect of methanolic extract of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) rind on prednisolone suppressed immunity in male wistar rats. A total of 20 male wistar rats weighing 150-294g were used in 4 groups with five rats each. Group 1, the control group was given distilled water and feed, Group 2 was given 200 mg/kg body weight of methanolic extract of watermelon rind, Group 3 rats were given 2.5 mg/kg body weight of prednisolone and Group 4 rats were given 2.5 mg/kg body weight of prednisolone and 200 mg/kg body weight of methanolic extract of watermelon rind. Prednisolone and the methanolic extract of watermelon rind were administered orally for a period of 30 days. Blood samples were collected by cardio puncture from the rats for white blood cell (WBC), lymphocyte, and granulocyte and monocyte counts at the end of the experiment.  The data were statistically analysed using one-way ANOVA (Analysis of variance). Data were considered significant at p<0.05. The results obtained showed that methanolic extract of watermelon rind caused a significant increasen in immune function of rats when compared with the control and immune suppressed rats.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan du Preez ◽  
Jessica Pahl ◽  
Meenakshi Arora ◽  
M. N. V. Ravi Kumar ◽  
Lindsay Brown ◽  
...  

Nanoparticle formulations improve bioavailability and so may allow low-dose formulations of food-derived compounds such as curcumin to attenuate chronic systemic disease despite intrinsically low oral bioavailability. The current study induced metabolic syndrome in male Wistar rats aged eight–nine weeks using a high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (H) with corn starch diet (C) as control. Using a reversal protocol, rats were given curcumin as either nanoparticles encapsulated in poly(lactic–co–glycolic acid) (5 mg/kg/day, HCNP) or as an unformulated low dose or high-dose suspension in water (low-dose, 5 mg/kg/day, HC5; high-dose, 100 mg/kg/day, HC100) or blank nanoparticles (HBNP) for the final eight weeks of the 16 week study. We analysed cardiovascular parameters including systolic blood pressure and left ventricular diastolic stiffness along with histopathology, liver parameters including plasma liver enzymes, histopathology and metabolic parameters, including glucose tolerance, blood lipid profile and body composition, and plasma curcumin concentrations. HC100 and HCNP but not HBNP normalised systolic blood pressure (C = 120 ± 4; H = 143 ± 5; HBNP = 141 ± 3; HC5 = 143 ± 4; HC100 = 126 ± 4; HCNP = 128 ± 4 mmHg), left ventricular diastolic stiffness and liver fat deposition. No other improvements were induced in HC100 or HCNP or other intervention groups (HC5 and HBNP). We conclude that 5 mg/kg/day curcumin nanoparticles in H rats showed similar improvements in cardiovascular function as 100 mg/kg/day unformulated curcumin correlating with similar plasma curcumin concentrations.


Author(s):  
J. N. Nwangwa ◽  
A. L. Udefa ◽  
P. M. Obi ◽  
C. E. Obeten ◽  
S. Okpa

Aims: This study investigated the effect of vitamin E on serum liver enzymes and bilirubin concentrations in male Wistar rats treated with sildenafil citrate (SC) and a combination of SC and tramadol on the background that these drugs cause oxidative damage to the liver. Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats (180-200 g) were randomly divided into six groups (n=5) thus: control (0.2 ml vehicle – olive oil), SC-treated group (Sil) (10 mg/kg of SC), SC+tramadol-treated group (Sil+Tra) (10 mg/kg of SC and 20 mg/kg of tramadol), vitamin E-treated group (Vit E) (100mg/kg of vitamin E), SC+vitamin E-treated group (Sil+Vit E) (received SC and vitamin E) and SC+tramadol+vitamin E-treated group (Sil+Tra+Vit E) (received SC, tramadol and vitamin E). Drugs were administered orally once daily for four weeks after which blood samples were obtained and used to measure serum concentrations of liver enzymes (AST, ALT and ALP) and bilirubin. Results: Serum AST, ALT, ALP, total bilirubin (TB) and unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) concentrations were significantly (p<0.001) increased in Sil and Sil+Tra compared with control and Vit E and significantly (p<0.01) decreased in Sil+Vit E and Sil+Tra+Vit E compared with Sil and Sil+Tra. Serum conjugated bilirubin (CB) concentration and percentage conjugation of bilirubin significantly decreased (p<0.001) in Sil and Sil+Tra compared with control and Vit E and increased (p<0.01) in Sil+Vit E and Sil+Tra+Vit E compared with Sil and Sil+Tra. Conclusion: SC, administered separately and in combination with tramadol altered liver function. However, vitamin E supplementation was able to ameliorate this alteration in liver function.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Fagen Li ◽  
Shaodan Li ◽  
Yi Liu ◽  
Ke Cao ◽  
Minghui Yang

Objective. To study the effect of Heweianshen decoction (HAD) on orexin-A and cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8) expression in rat models of insomnia caused by injecting parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA) intraperitoneally.Methods. Fifty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups (10 rats in each group): blank group, model group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose HAD-treated groups. A rat model of insomnia was established by injecting intraperitoneally with PCPA (300 mg/kg body weight). Rats were given normal saline (10 mL/kg) or 5.25, 10.5, and 21 g/kg HAD by intragastric administration once a day for 6 days. After that, the rats were sacrificed to collect the hypothalamus for tests, using radioimmunoassay to detect the expression of orexin-A and CCK-8.Results. Heweianshen decoction reduced the expression of orexin-A and increased the expression of CCK-8 in the hypothalamus of rat model of insomnia.Conclusion. The therapeutic effect of HAD on insomnia is partially attributed to the decreased expression of orexin-A and increased expression of CCK-8.


2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (9) ◽  
pp. 850-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Djuric ◽  
T. Nikolic Turnic ◽  
S. Kostic ◽  
K. Radonjic ◽  
J. Jeremic ◽  
...  

It has been assumed that the cardioprotective effects of propofol are due to its non-anesthetic pleiotropic cardiac and vasodilator effects, in which gasotransmitters (NO, H2S, and CO) as well as calcium influx could be involved. The study on isolated rat heart was performed using 4 experimental groups (n = 7 in each): (1) bolus injection of propofol (100 mg/kg body mass, i.p.); (2) L-NAME (NO synthase inhibitor, 60 mg/kg body mass, i.p.) + propofol; (3) DL-PAG (H2S synthase inhibitor, 50 mg/kg body mass, i.p.) + propofol; (4) ZnPPIX (CO synthase inhibitor, 50 μmol/kg body mass, i.p.) + propofol. Before and after the verapamil (3 μmol/L) administration, cardiodynamic parameters were recorded (dp/dtmax, dp/dtmin, systolic left ventricular pressure, diastolic left ventricular pressure, heart rate, coronary flow), as well as coronary and cardiac oxidative stress parameters. The results showed significant increases of diastolic left ventricular pressure following NO and CO inhibition, but also increases of coronary flow following H2S and CO inhibition. Following verapamil administration, significant decreases of dp/dtmax were noted after NO and CO inhibition, then increase of diastolic left ventricular pressure following CO inhibition, and increase of coronary flow following NO, H2S, or CO inhibition. Oxidative stress markers were increased but catalase activity was significantly decreased in cardiac tissue. Gasotransmitters and calcium influx are involved in pleiotropic cardiovascular effects of propofol in male Wistar rats.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 306-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Cemaluk C. Egbuonu ◽  
Ambrose E. Ogbu ◽  
Ifeoma I. Ijeh ◽  
Lawrence U.S. Ezean

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