ABSTRACT
The effect of Annona muricatamethanol leaf extract (AMELE) on colon antioxidant status and ketone bodies in blood and urine of cycas treated rats was investigated. Seventy male Wistar albino rats were randomly assigned into seven groups of ten experimental animals in a study that lasted for twenty-eight days. After 28 days, using standard methods, serum and urinary ketone bodies were assayed. Malondialdehyde (MDA), antioxidants enzymes in the colon and histopathological analysis were assayed. The results showed ketogenic diet had significant (p<0.05) increase in serum and urinary ketone body levels compared to other groups on normal feed. Annona muricataextract enhanced cellular consumption and uptake of ketone bodies whereas cycas reduced cellular consumption of ketone bodies. Annona muricatagiven either with ketogenic diet or cycas or with both ketogenic diet and cycas led to higher tissue levels of antioxidant enzymes. Tissue MDA levels were significantly (p<0.05)increased in all cycas treated groups compared to the control group with the highest levels seen in the two groups placed on normal feed and cycas. Lactate dehydrogenase activities were significantly (p<0.05) increases in all the groups placed on ketogenic diet compared to the groups placed on normal feed. Histopathological analysis revealed normal rat colon tissues in all the groups except 43% of the group 2 animals. This therefore indicates that cycas-induced oxidative stress and tissue injury may be mitigated by the combined administration of Annona muricataextract and ketogenic diet.