title: Aqueous extract of Monodora myristica ameliorates cadmium-induced hepatotoxicity in male rats.
abstract: In recent years, indigenous medicinal plants exhibiting diverse biological activities have been explored in the amelioration of hepatotoxicity. This study investigates the protective effect of Monodora myristica (MM) on cadmium-induced liver damage in experimental animals. Male Wistar albino rats were maintained on 200 mg/L cadmium: Cd (Cd as CdCl2) in the animals' main drinking water to induce hepatotoxicity. Added to this, the animals received aqueous extracts of MM at a dose of 200 or 400 and 20 mg/kg bw of Livolin forte (LF) for 21 days. At the end of the experiment, levels of serum enzyme biomarkers (alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and aspartate transaminase) as well as total cholesterol (TC), triacylglyceride (TG) and malondialdehyde were significantly raised in the cadmium treated groups. Conversely, cadmium treatment elicited noticeable decrease in hepatic enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants (reduced glutathione: GSH, catalase: CAT, superoxide dismutase: SOD). Co-treatment with MM at varying doses as well as LF considerably decreased the elevated levels of the serum biomarkers as well as TC, TG and malondialdehyde in the cadmium-treated groups in a dose dependant manner. Additionally, MM exhibited reversal potential on cadmium-toxicity at the tested doses as its administration was accompanied by a pronounced increase in GSH, SOD, and CAT levels. Histopathological results were parallel to these findings. These results demonstrates that aqueous extracts of MM is effective in the amelioration of hepatic damages arising from cadmium-induced toxicity, indicating that the antioxidant bio-constituents of MM play an important role in the prevention of liver toxicity possibly by inhibiting bioaccumulation of free radicals in animal models.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology and Structural Biology (BSB) Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa, 3886 South Africa ; Department of Biochemistry, College of Sciences, Afe Babalola University, PMB 5454, Ado-Ekiti, 360001 Nigeria.
authors.forename: Babatunji Emmanuel
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Oyinloye
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology and Structural Biology (BSB) Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa, 3886 South Africa.
authors.forename: Abiola Fatimah
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Adenowo
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology and Structural Biology (BSB) Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa, 3886 South Africa.
authors.forename: Foluso Oluwagbemiga
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Osunsanmi
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology and Structural Biology (BSB) Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa, 3886 South Africa.
authors.forename: Bolajoko Idiat
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Ogunyinka
authors.affiliation: Nutritional and Industrial Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, 200002 Nigeria.
authors.forename: Sarah Onyenibe
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Nwozo
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology and Structural Biology (BSB) Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa, 3886 South Africa.
authors.forename: Abidemi Paul
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Kappo
keywords: Cadmium; Hepatic enzyme; Livolin forte; Monodora myristica; Oxidative stress