ABSTRACT
Liver diseases have been rated among the most serious health problems worldwide, causing approximately 800,000 deaths every year. The present study evaluated the hepatoprotective potential of hydro – ethanol extracts and fractions of Piper guineense (PG) on thioacetamide – induced liver toxicity in male albino rats of Wistar strain.
This study was carried out in two phases; prophylactic and curative. A total of one hundred and fifty-four (seventy-seven rats for each phase) adult male rats of Wistar strain were used for both phases, and were divided into eleven (11) groups of seven (7) animals each. At the end of the study, biochemical assays and haematological indices were assessed using standard methods. Histopathological examination of the liver and kidney tissues of the rats were also carried out. Data were analysed using SPSS and p ˂ 0.05 were considered significant.
Proximate and antinutrient analysis carried out on the extracts and fractions revealed the presence of some nutritive components. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, phenols, flavonoids etc. in both the extracts and fractions. Amino acids, mineral elements and vitamins were present in both the extracts and fractions. The GC-MS analysis of the extracts and fractions revealed the presence of various phytonutrients and fatty acids which have been proven to possess wide range of hepatoprotective, biological and pharmacological properties. The ethyl acetate fraction (EAFS) had higher (p ˂ 0.05) DPPH radical scavenging activity when compared to the extracts and hexane fraction. The extracts and fractions also exhibited antioxidant properties with FRAP, RP, TAC, NO etc. The biochemical assays results obtained in this study revealed that TAA treatment elevated (p ˂ 0.05) various liver and kidney function indices, decreased in vivo antioxidant enzyme activities when compared with control respectively. However, treatment with the extracts and its fractions improved the liver and kidney function indices and in vivo antioxidant defence (p ˂ 0.05) in these rats when compared with the control. The indices of lipid profile, heart function, pro-inflammatory were also elevated (p ˂ 0.05) in TAA treated rats when compared with control. There was also a depletion of mitochondrial ATPases activities in the liver of TAA treated rats when compared with control. The extracts and fractions significantly elevated RBCs, HGB, MCH and PLT counts when compared with TAA treated rats. All these effects were further demonstrated in the histopathological examination of the organs; where the liver and kidneys of TAA treated animals have hepatic and nephritic changes and alterations in their architecture when compared to the control. Conclusively, the results from this study revealed that the hydro-ethanol extracts and fractions of P. guineense (PG) conferred protective and curative effects against TAA liver toxicity in rats via hepatoprotective, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, we propose that the possible mechanism by which P. guineense was able to ameliorate the effects of TAA on the rats was because of the presence of phytonutrients, increased enhancement of antioxidant status and reduction in oxidative stress which worked in synergy in the animals.
