ABSTRACT
Background: Spondias mombin is one of the tropical plants used locally to treat various kinds of ailment, its use as an anti-conceptive remedy in our locality had been reported. Objective: The aim of this study was to establish a dose-dependent or duration effect of ethanolic leaf extract of Spondias mombin on the anterior pituitary cells, testes and epididymides of Wistar rats of Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: A total of thirty (30) matured male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups (n=5). Group 1 animals served as control and received vehicle (distilled water). Groups 2 and 3 were administered with 250 mgkg-1 body weight of extract for 4 and 6 weeks respectively, while groups 4 and 5 received 500 mgkg-1 body weight of extract for 4 and 6 weeks also. Animals were anaesthetized with chloroform and sacrificed at the end of the administration. Body weight, weights of reproductive organs and vital organs were evaluated. Blood was taken from the animals for haematological and biochemical analysis. The pituitary gland, male reproductive and accessory glands were excised and fixed in 10% formalin for routine histological examination. Results: The influence of ethanolic extract of Spondias mombin leaves on the pituitary cells and reproductive organs of male Wistar rats given 250 and 500 mgkg-1 body weight for 4 and 6 weeks showed loss of cytoplasmic contents and free spaces of pituitary cells, desquamation of seminiferous epithelial cells, degradation of seminiferous tubules and reduction in cells. The epididymis of the test groups showed abundant immature cells and cell debris in their lumen. The accessory glands showed homogenous pinkish fluid, glandular degeneration of the prostate and seminal vesicles with decreased structural integrity. The organ weights of the experimental animals were not significantly affected, however, a significant (P<0.05) decrease in reproductive organ weights was recorded. Ethanolic extract of Spondias mombin on liver enzymes showed significant protection against hepatobiliary damage. Conclusion: These results suggest that Spondias mombin has a dose-dependent and duration deleterious effect on the pituitary and reproductive organs at their cellular levels rather than on the tissue as a whole.
ABSTRACT
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functions in the maintenance of homeostasis in the various systems of the body. This study was carried out to evaluate the anti-oxidant effect of Azadirachta indica and Spondias mombin on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary- Adrenal axis of zidovudine stress induced wistar rats. 25 adult male wistar rats having an average weight of 180g were used for this study and were divided into 5 groups; group A, group B, group C, group D and group E. Group A is the negative control group that received rat chow and water , group B served as the positive control group that received the administration of 450mg/kg body weight of zidovudine drug, group C received 450mg/kg body weight of zidovudine drug and 500mg/kg body weight of Azadirachta indica, group D received 450mg/kg body weight of zidovudine and 500mg/kg body weight of Spondias mombin leaf extract, while group E received 450mg/kg body weight of zidovudine drug and a combination of 500mg/kg body weight of Azadirachta indica and Spondias mombin. The administration was carried out once a day using orogastric tube for a period of 21 days. At the end of the administration, the rats were sacrificed using chlorofoam inhalation technique, and the whole brain was fixed in 10% neutral buffered formal saline, Blood samples for biochemical estimation were taken. Light microscopic evaluation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis using Haematoxylin and Eosin for group A showed prominent hypothalamic neurons, group B showed degeneration of neurons and presence of vacoules, group C, D,and E showed less vacoules and prominent neurons with lesser vacoules and more prominence of neurons in group C. Haematoxylin and eosin stains for group A, C, and E of the rat pituitary gland, showed prominent acidophilic and basophilic cells with presence of blood vessels, while results of group B and D showed presence of vacoulation with less prominent acidophilic and basophilic cells, Haematoxylin and eosin results for group A showed presence of all the 3 layers of the adrenal cortex and medulla, group B of rat adrenal gland showed presence of haemorrhage in the medulla layer and reticularis, group C had lesser haemorrhage when compared to group D and E. Results of Orange G showed prominence in the acidophilic and basophilic cells in Group A, C, D and E and B showed lesser prominence of orange G stains. Cresoyl Fast Violet stains showed more prominent nissl substance in group A, D, when and E while group B showed a reduction in the expression of nissl stains. Results for stastistical analysis of glutathione peroxidase showed an increase in GPX for group D, when compared to groupA, C and E, and B at (p<0.05), results of Malondialdehyde (MDA) significantly increased in group B (p<0.05) when compared to group A, C, D and E. Hence this study proves that single administration of methanolic leaf extract of Azadirachta indica or Spondias mombin may have neuroprotective potentials and anti-oxidant properties when compared with a combination of the methanolic leaf extract of Azadirachta indica and Spondias mombin leaf extract.
ABSTRACT
Aims: Lemon grass and mango bark serves as one of the medicinal plants used in Nigeria for the treatment of malaria by traditional herbalists. This study was designed to assess the effects of ethanolic extract of lemon grass and mango bark on the cerebral astrocytes of wistar rats. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria between December 2013 and May 2014. Methodology: Twenty (20) adult wistar rat were divided into four groups, each consisting of five rats. Group A served as the control that received distilled water, while the experimental groups B, C and D received 2000mg/kg ethanolic extract of lemon grass, 2000mg/kg ethanolic extract of mango bark, a combination of 1000mg/kg ethanolic extract of lemon grass and 1000mg/kg ethanolic extract of mango bark orally with the aid of orogastric tube respectively for two weeks and were sacrificed using chloroform. The brain of the rats were harvested and preserved using 10% formal saline. Histological processes were carried out and the tissues were stained using Hortegas. Results: Neurohistological studies carried out revealed hyperplasia of astrocytes in the treated groups B, C and D animals that received 2000mg/kg of ethanolic extract of lemon grass, 2000mg/kg of mango bark and combined 1000mg/kg of ethanolic extract of lemon grass and 1000mg/kg of ethanolic extract of mango bark. There was increased hyperplasia in group B animals that received 2000mg/kg of the lemon grass extract when compared with the control and the treated groups C and D. Conclusion: Thus, ethanolic extract of lemon grass, mango bark and combined extracts of mango bark and lemon grass has the potential to cause neuronal damage as seen in the hyperplasia of cerebral cortex astrocytes.