ABSTRACT
The liver and kidney are very important organs of the body that play vital roles of detoxification of compounds and removal of waste products respectively. In this research, some liver and kidney function tests were carried out on albino mice infected with malaria parasite to know the effect of treatment with extract on them. Pulverised dried seeds of Picralima nitida were extracted using ethanol. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities, total bilirubin, total protein, urea and creatinine levels and histopathological studies on liver and kidney tissues were performed. From the results of the experiment, significant (p < 0.05) reductions were observed in serum levels of urea, creatinine of the treated groups compared to the positive control (group infected with malaria parasite and treated with 3% tween 80) on days 3 and 5 post treatment. There was non-significant (p > 0.05) reduction in serum AST and ALT activities of the groups treated with 20, 40 and 80 mg/kg b.w. of the extract on days 3 and 5 post treatment compared to the positive control. Groups treated with 20 and 40 mg/kg b.w. of the extract showed significant (p < 0.05) reduction in bilirubin level on days 3 and 5 post treatment compared to the positive control. All the treated groups showed significant (p < 0.05) elevation in serum total protein on day 3 post treatment while the group treated with 80 mg/kg b.w. of the extract showed significant (p < 0.05) elevation in total protein on day 5 treatment compared to the positive control. Histopathological studies on the hepatic tissues of the treated mice showed lesser inflammatory cells around the portal areas than the untreated. No lesions were noticed in the renal tubules of both the treated and untreated mice. From the results of this experiment, it is now obvious that Picralima nitida seeds possess good hepato-protective properties.
ABSTRACT
In an attempt to evaluate the acclaimed aphrodisiac activity of ethanol leaf extract of Piliostigma thoningii, twenty (20) male wistar albino rats were weighed and grouped into four study groups (A-D) of five animals each. Rats in group A (control) were administered with 1ml of distilled water orally while those in groups B, C, and D were given same volume orally, corresponding to 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight of the extract respectively for 21 days. Sexual behaviour parameters were monitored in the male rats for 3 days after administration by pairing with a receptive female (1:1). The male serum testosterone concentration was also determined. Cage side observation on the animals revealed prospective behaviours by the receptive female rats and pre- copulatory behaviours by the extract-treated male rats. The extract at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight significantly (P < 0.05) increased the frequencies of mount and intromission. In addition, the ejaculation latency was significantly (P < 0.05) prolonged. The latencies of mount and intromission were reduced signifi-cantly (P<0.05) whereas ejaculation frequency increased. The extract also reduced the post- ejaculatory interval of the wistar albino rats. Computed percentages of index of libido, mounted, intromitted, ejaculated and copulatory efficiency were higher in the extract- treated animals than the control whereas the intercopulatory interval decreased significantly. The extract also significantly (P<0.05) increased the serum testosterone content of the animals. Data from this study suggest that the ethanol extract of Piliostigma thonningii leaf enhanced sexual behaviour in male rats.