ABSTRACT
Alstonia boonei is an important medicinal plants used traditionally in the treatment of various health conditions like, inflammation, malaria, diabetes, it also has an antioxidant effect. This present study was carried out to evaluate the potentials of A.boonei on renal function in formalin-induced inflammation in male wistar rats. The administration was done for ten days. The serum electrolytes (Na+, K+, Cl-, HCO3-) were analyzed using ion selective electrode, while urea and creatinine were read spectrophoto- metrically. The animals were divided into six groups (Group I, Group II, Group III, Group IV, Group V, Group VI) and twelve sub-groups with each group comprising of five rats each. Inflammation was induced by subaponeurotic injection of 0.1mL of 2% w/v formalin in distilled water in the right hind paw of the rats on the first and third day. Group I served as the control and was not treated nor induced, Group II, III, IV, were induced and treated with aqueous extract of leaf, stem bark, and roots, Group V was induced and treated with indo- methacin while Group VI received only the aqueous extracts without induction. From the result obtained the aqueous root bark extract showed better therapeutic effect against inflammation than the stem bark extract and leaf extract. Also, Group V (indomethacin) showed a significant decrease in urea when compared to the control while the selected serum electrolytes (Na+, K+, HCO3-, Cl-) and creatinine showed no significant change for the aqueous leaf extract. For the aqueous stem bark extract a significant decrease was obtained in the potassium levels of Group IV (600mg/kg), Group II (150mg/kg) and III (300mg/kg) in bicarbonate and Group V in urea when compared to the control. The aqueous root extract showed a significant difference in potassium, and urea when compared to the control. Since most of the statistical change were caused by the control drug (indomethacin) A.boonei did not really influence this changes except the stem bark which showed a statistical decrease in the bicarbonate. Therefore, the use of A.boonei did not really have an effect on the kidney.
