ABSTRACT
Ipomoea cairica is one of the underutilized and under-reported medicinal plant in Africa. It is locally used for wound healing, antiinflammation, febrifuge, liver disorder, respiratory, and jaundice. I. cairica was screened for the presence of various phytochemicals and the quantification of some of the phytochemicals were determined. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the plant were also determined in vitro. The nephroprotective effect of I. cairica leaves against potassium bromate were also investigated. Thirty-five rats were randomly divided into five groups (I, II, III, IV, and V) of seven rats each. I: normal control; II: administered 80 mg/kg Potassium bromate (KBr) subcutaneously; III: orally administered 100 m/kg Methanolic extract of Ipomoea cairica(MEIC) for 14 days before single dose administration of KBr; IV: orally administered 250 mg/kg of MEIC for 14 consecutive days before single dose administration of KBr; V: orally administered 250 mg/kg of MEIC for 14 consecutive days. Animals were sacrificed 24 h after last administration. Blood was collected and processed for markers of kidney function, lipid profile, and electrolyte. The kidney was excised and processed for antioxidant and oxidative stress level. Results reveal the presence of saponin, tannin, phenols, coumarin, glycosides, flavonoids, terpenoids, triterpene, and alkaloids in the plant extract, while anthocyanin, phlobatanin, and amino acids were absent. Quantification of phytochemicals reveal that flavonoids is the most abundant phytochemicals (251.80±0.256), followed by triterpenes (79.92±0.25), steroids (74.58±0.083), terpenoids (42.86±0.041). MEIC shows potential to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (IC50: 20.21±1.0 µg/ml), ABTS (IC50= 35.95±4.01 µg/ml), O2- (IC50= 47.48±4.62 µg/ml), OH. (IC50 =48.08±3.15 µg/ml). It also reveals a concentration dependent increase in the inhibition of albumin denaturation. In vivo investigation shows the protective effect of MEIC against the hyperlipidemic effect of KBr, significantly (P<0.05) serum elevation of urea and creatinine by KBr, significantly prevent the decrease concentration of uric acid by KBr (P<0.05), significantly prevented the disruption of electrolyte (sodium ion, potassium ion, and chloride ion) imbalance due to KBr exposure (P<0.05). MEIC also significantly caused a decrease in formation of malondialdehyde (MDA), increased concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH), increased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). In conclusion, the results provides a scientific proof of the potential of I. cairica to protect against renal toxicity, which can be linked to the antioxidant, scavenging, and antiinflammatory activity of the plant. In addition, the therapeutic property of the plant can be linked to the abundance of flavonoids and other phytochemicals present in it.
