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ABSTRACT
Many secondary plant metabolites have been shown to possess antioxidant activities, improving the effects of oxidative stress on organs. This study evaluated the effects of extracts from Blechnum occidentale leaves on liver function test in adult Wistar rats. Thirty adult Wistar rats were divided randomly into five groups. Group A which served as untreated control received water daily 28 days. Group B received a daily oral dose of 400 mg/kg body weight of Blechnum occidentale extract only. Group C received a daily oral dose of 600 mg/kg body weight of Blechnum occidentale extract only. Group D received a daily oral dose of 800mg/kg body weight of Blechnum occidentale extract only and Group E received a daily oral dose of 1000mg/kg body weight of Blechnum occidentale extract only. At the last day of the experiment, the animals were weighed and sacrificed on anaesthetize using chloroform. The abdominal cavity was accessed via midline incision and the kidney was dissected out, weighed and fixed in 10% buffered formal saline in readiness for routine histological procedure. Blood samples were immediately collected from the descending abdominal aorta with a sterile needle and homogenized in a lithium heparin bottle for renal function test estimation. The study shows that the extract has toxic effect to the kidney tissues, which increased with increase in dosage of extract.
