Efficacy of Psidium guajava leaf extract against liver diseases in guinea pigs

Serum levels of aspartate aminotransfcrase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and alkaline phosphatase [ALP] were analysed in guinea pigs after daily treatment with 1 g/kg Psidium guajava [PG] aqueous leaf extract for five days followed by subcutaneous administration of 50 mg/kg CC[1], in order to assess the preventive effect of the extract on liver damage. In addition, the levels of the enzymes in guinea pigs administered with 50 mg/kg CC1[4] followed by 3 and 6 days treatment with the plant extract were determined in order to assess the efficacy of the extract in the cure of liver damage. Guinea pigs orally treated with 1 g/kg leaf extract of PG followed by subcutaneous administration of 50 mg/kg CC1[4] had serum levels of AST, ALT and ALP above the normal range. However, guinea pigs orally treated with 1 g/kg leaf extract of PG for 3 and 6 days following subcutaneous administration of 50 mg/kg CC1[4] had serum levels of AST. ALT and ALP not significantly different [P < 0.05] from those in control guinea pigs. Thus wherever the leaf extract of PG could not effectively prevent CC1[4] induced liver damage, it was found to effectively cure it

Histochemical study of the effect of pyrethroid insecticide on the collagen fibers glycogen, and DNA and RNA in the different organs of guinea pigs

This work was done on 60 guinea pigs divided into four groups including one control group. These groups were given a sublethal dose of fenvalerate insecticide for variable periods of time to see the effect of this insecticide on the collagen fibers, glycogen, DNA and RNA in the different organs. There was a moderate increase of collagen fibers which was proportional to the durations of administration. Glycogen content of the parenchymatous organs was increased in the first group and showed gradual decrease in the second group and returned to nearly normal level in third group. Animals of the first group showed decreased level of RNA and DNA content of the cells of the different organs and further decrease was noticed in animals of the second group. Animals of the third group showed a slight increase in the RNA and DNA of the cells of the different organs but less than control group