ABSTRACT
The study was done to investigate the anti-venom activity of Mucuna pruriens leaves extract against cobra snake (Naja hannah) venom. Study Design: The mice were randomly grouped into six groups (A, B, C, D, E, and F) of five rats each. Group A served as the normal control (no induction), and the mice in the group were given normal saline (1ml/kg/body weight).Group B served as the test control (snake venom was induced but no treatment administered), Group C served as the standard control (snake venom was induced and treated with antivenin, a standard drug), Group D, E and F were all induced with the cobra snake venom and treated with ethanolic extracts of the leaves of M. pruriens for 14 days. Methodology: The induction with cobra snake venom was done with 0.075mg/kg b.w of venom and thereafter the treatment with M. pruriens extract for Group D, E and F were done with 40 mg/ kg, 60 mg/ kg and 80 mg/ kg respectively intraperitoneally in the mice. Serum blood of the animals was used to assay for total cholesterol, bilirubin, AST, ALT, GSH and catalase levels after 14days. Result: The injection of crude venom of cobra snake (Naja hannah) caused an increase in cholesterol, AST, ALT, bilirubin, catalase and glutathione in envenomated mice which significantly reduced (p<0.05) compared to all the controls after 14 days of treatment with the extract. Conclusion: The results suggests that 80 mg/ kg of the plant extract is more effective than the standard drug, therefore M. pruriens leaves has a greater anti-venom potential for curing snake bite, than antivenin.
ABSTRACT
Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of ethanolic extract of Sphenocentrum jollyanum on high fat and high carbohydrate diet induced obesity in male wistar rats. Methodology: 30 male wistar rats used for this study were divided into 5 groups of 6 rats each. Group 1 was fed the normal pellet diet (NPD), Group 2 and 3 were fed with high fat diet (HFD), Group 4 and 5 were with fed high carbohydrate diet (HCD) and all groups had free access to diets and water ad libitum for 18 weeks. Treatment with 500mg/kg b.w ethanolic extract of S. jollyanum for Group 3 and 5 started in the 14th week, that is, at the end of obesity induction and lasted for another four weeks. The extract was suspended in normal saline and administered orally to the rats using a gavage tube. Thereafter, the food intake, body weight, total fat mass, adiposity index, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose, insulin and leptin were measured. Results: The results showed that feeding with HFD and HCD significantly increased (p<0.05) body weight, total fat mass, adiposity index, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), very density low cholesterol (VDL-C), low density low cholesterol (LDL-C), creatine kinanse (CK) activity, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glucose, insulin and leptin levels. The ethanolic extract of S. jollyanum significantly decreased total fat mass, adiposity index, TC, TG, VDL-C, LDL-C, CK activity, LDH, glucose and leptin levels in the HFD group. While among the HCD group, S. jollyanum significantly decreased total fat mass, adiposity index and CK activity. Conclusion: The high fat and high carbohydrate diet induced obesity in the wistar rats and the decrease in the lipid profile, heart biomarkers, glucose and leptin by ethanolic extract of S. jollyanum shows that the plant might possess anti-obesity effect.