Objective: Renal and hepato-protective effects of Irvingia gabonensis juice on sodium fluoride-induced toxicity was assessed in twenty-four male Wistar albino rats. Methodology:The rats were divided into 4 groups of 6 animals each. All except normal control (NC), were intoxicated with 20 mg.Kg -1 body weight of sodium fluoride (NaF) daily by gavage for 35 days. Sodium fluoride control group (NaFC) received only the toxicant. Test group (IG) received I. gabonensis juice concurrently with the toxicant, while the standard control (Q+Vit. E) received concurrently, 15 mg.Kg -1 body weight of Quercetin+100 mg.Kg -1 body weight of α-tocopherol throughout the 35 days. Normal control (NC) group received only standard pelletized diet and water. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total protein, albumin, total cholesterol, serum creatinine and electrolyte levels were assessed among test, standard and control animals.Result: Irvingia gabonensis significantly (p<0.05) reduced AST activity in the IG group (137.68 ± 12.66 U/L) compared to NaFC group (175.12 ± 10.63 U/L). This compares to the reduction in the AST activity in standard (Q +Vit. E) group (135.69 ± 10.66 U/L). ALT activity was also reduced in the IG group. Effects of I. gabonensis on albumin and cholesterol levels were similar to that of the standard group. Administration of I. gabonensis also significantly (p<0.002) reduced elevated creatinine and Clconcentrations, while significantly (p<0.05) elevating serum Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ ion levels.Conclusion: Irvingia gabonensis fruit juice has some renal and hepato-protective potential which may be due to the presence of secondary plant metabolites like flavonoids, tannins and alkaloids found in the plant. The fruit is also rich in Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ . Increased domestication is encouraged.

Background and Aim: The present study evaluated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. Visceral organs and body weights were used as measures of the capacities of single and combinatorial herbal formulations of Acanthus montanus, Asystasia gangetica, Gongronema latifolium and Solanum melongenas to ameliorate systemic toxicity, visceral organs inflammation or necrosis and body tissues wasting in alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) rats. Materials and Methods: Alloxan-induced DM rats with fasting plasma glucose concentration (FPGC) > 5.71 mmol/L for 5 consecutive days were selected for the study. A total of 102 male Wistar rats were divided into seventeen (17) groups of six (6) rats each. Serum LDH activity and body weights and weights of visceral organs and were measured using standard methods. Results: Serum LDH activities of herbal treated rat groups varied within a relatively narrow range of 549.9 ± 12.10 -500.6 ± 12.02 IU/L and were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the untreated DM rat group. The body weights of the experimental rat groups after herbal treatment were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than their corresponding weights before herbal treatment. The ratios of liver weights to body weights were within the range of 0.0293 ± 1.4 x 10 -3 -0.0597 ± 2.3 x 10 -3 . The ratio of kidney weight to body weight of untreated DM rat group was 1.64 fold higher than that of normal rat group (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Overall, 200 mg/kg body weight double herbal formulations of A. gangetica + A. montanus and A. gangetica + G. latifolium offered the greatest therapeutic benefits to alloxan-induced DM rats, with respect to all diagnostic parameters considered in the present study. INTRODUCTIONLactate dehydrogenase (LDH: EC 1.1.1.27) is an oxidoreductase and cytoplasmic enzyme that catalyzes the reversible reaction: L-lactate + NAD + ↔ pyruvate + NADH. 1,2 The LDH enzyme is a tetrameric protein and is composed of five possible isoenzymes, designated as LDH -1 -LDH -5 . 1,3 Heart, kidney, brain and erythrocytes are composed of one or two of the five possible isoenzymes of LDH. 4,5 The erythrocyte cells have the highest proportion of LDH -1 and LDH -2 , 4,6 whereas the liver and skeletal muscle has the highest percentage of LDH -5 .3,7 Clinical applications of LDH activity involve quantification of one or more specific serum isoenzymes. 1,6,7,8 Accordingly, mild elevation in serum LDH activity has been reported in cases of haemolytic anemia, muscular dystrophy, pulmonary infarction, hepatitis, nephritic syndrome and cirrhosis. 9,10,11 Diabetes mellitus (DM) is multi-faceted endocrine disorder associated with array of metabolic syndromes such as hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and impaired nitrogen balance. 12,13 A major detrimental outcome of these metabolic disorders is the generation of overwhelming cellular levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), which often results in tissue and organ damage. 12,14,15 Oxidative tissue damage is mediated by activation of cellular stress-sensitive pathways, w...

Effect of Irvingia gabonensis fruit juice administration on serum lipid profile of sodium fluoride (NaF)-intoxicated rats was investigated. Twenty-four (24) male Wistar rats divided into four groups of six (6) animals each -one control and three intoxicated groups were used. The normal control (NC) group received only standard pelletized diet and water. All three intoxicated groups received 20 mgkg -1 bodyweight of NaF daily by gavage for 35 days. While the first group (NaFC group) received only NaF, the second in addition was treated with I. gabonensis fruit juice (I. gabonensis group). The third received NaF plus 15 mgkg -1 body weight Quercetin + 100 mgkg -1 bodyweight vitamin E (Q+Vit E group). Result showed that LDL-C was significantly elevated, while HDL-C was markedly reduced in the NaFC group. In the I. gabonensis-treated group, lipoprotein phenotypes were normalized, with HDL-C increasing from 38.92±9.28 mgdl -1 in NaF intoxicated group (NaFC) to 65.14±5.33 mgdl -1 , which was even higher than 60.83±4.56 mgdl -1 obtained in the standard (Q+Vit E) group. Low density lipoproteincholesterol concentration also reduced from 17.3±3.2 mgdl -1 in NaF-intoxicated group to 7.5±1.0 mgdl -1 in I. gabonensis-treated group, which compared favourably with that of the standard. Furthermore, NaF toxicity resulted in the elevation of atherogenic index in the NaFC group. This was significantly (p<0.05) lowered in all other groups. The total non-HDLcholesterol and LDL/HDL ratio were significantly reduced in I. gabonensis-treated rats. This tends to suggest that the juice of I. gabonensis may be useful in alleviating and preventing cardiovascular diseases.

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