The Prophylactic Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Potential of Garcinia Kola Pretreatment in Acetaminophen Induced Toxicity in Albino Rats

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the prophylactic antioxidant and hepatoprotective potential of Garcinia kola pretreatment in albino rats. A total number of 20 Albino rats comprising both males and females weighing about ±100g were used. The rats were divided into 4 groups of five rats each. The testing involved pretreatment with Garcinia kola seed extract at a low and high dose respectively for a period of seven ( 7) days before they were induced with acetaminophen intraperitoneally on the 8th day by gavage administration. They were fasted over night and then sacrificed on the 9th day under chloroform anaesthesia and blood was collected for biochemical and oxidative stress markers analyses using standardized procedures by cardiac puncture into plain tubes. The activities of the liver enzymes ALT, AST and ALP and MDA were significantly increased (p<0.05) and SOD, CAT and GSH-Px significantly decreased (p<0.05) in the animals induced with acetaminophen when compared with the control animals. However, pretreatment administration of Garcinia kola extract resulted in significant reduction (p<0.05) in the activities of these enzymes and MDA and a significant increase (p<0.05) in the activities of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px in both the low and high doses Garcinia kola extract groups respectively in the animals. The implication of these findings is that the extracts of Garcinia kola seed possess potential prophylactic antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects in rats when given as a pretreatment before exposure to the hepatotoxic agent which supports the traditional prophylactic use of Garcinia kola in hepatotoxic disorders, hepatitis and jaundice.