ANTIOXIDANT EFFECTS OF HYDROMETHANOL LEAF EXTRACT OF ICACINA TRICHANTHA

ABSTRACT

Oxidative stress is a component of many diseases, including atherosclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer disease and cancer. Although the use of antioxidants such as MDA, GSH, SOD and Catalase have exhibited therapeutic potential in preclinical studies, clinical trials have been disappointing. The aim of this study is to investigate antioxidant potentials of the hydro-methanol leaf extract of Icacina trichantha on brain, liver and kidney of wistar rats.  Twenty wistar rats were divided into four groups with five in each group and were fed for 14days. They were administered the hydromethanol leaf extract at different dosage. Group 1 was given water for control, group 2 were give 100mg/kg of the extract, group 3 200mg/kg of the extract and group 4 400mg/kg of the extract respectively.  After 14days of administration, they were weighed, sacrificed, the kidney, liver and brains were weighed, homogenized and centrifuged.  The enzymes MDA, Catalase, SOD and GSH were added to the tissue homogenate and read with a visible spectrophotometer. The activity of antioxidants and their mechanism of action is dictated by the structural features of the molecules involved. A greater understanding of the mechanisms through which antioxidants act and where and when they are effective may provide a rational approach that leads to greater pharmacological success. Here, we review the relationships between oxidative stress, how antioxidant work, what limits their effectiveness and how antioxidant effects can be increased through pharmaceutical intervention.