ABSTRACT
Cucurbita pepo is a common vegetable used all over the world. In folk medicine it is used in gastroenteritis, hepatorenal and in brain anomalies. In the present study, protective effect of Cucurbita pepo fruit peel against CCl[4]- induced neurotoxicity in rats was investigated. In this study, 36 Sprague-Dawley female rats [190 +/- 15 g] were randomly divided into 6 groups of 6 rats each. Group I was given 1 ml/kg bw [body weight] of corn oil intraperotoneally [i.p]; Group II, III and IV were treated with 20% CCl[4] in corn oil [1 ml/kg bw i.p.]. However, animals of Group III and IV were also treated with CPME [methanol extract of C. pepo fruit peel] at 200 and 400 mg/kg bw respectively. Animals of Group V and VI were administered only with CPME at 200 and 400 mg/kg bw respectively. These treatments were administered 3 days a week for two weeks. Administration of CCl[4] cause acute neurotoxicity as depicted by significant depletion [P<0.05] in the activities of antioxidant enzymes; catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, quinone reductase, while enhanced the gamma-glutamyl transferase level in brain samples. CCl[4] intoxication decreased the reduced glutathione [GSH] level whereas markedly [P<0.05] enhanced lipid peroxidation in brain samples. Co-treatment of CPME significantly [P<0.05] protected the brain tissues against CCl[4] constituted injuries by restoring activities of antioxidant enzymes and ameliorated lipid peroxidation in a dose dependent fashion. These neuroprotective effects might be due to the presence of antioxidant constituents