Abstract

DI-HERBAL MIXTURE OF ALSTONIA BOONEI AND ANNONA SQUAMOSA AMELIORATES PARACETAMOL (PCM) INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN MICE

Onwusonye J.C.*, Okore S.A. and Patrick-Iwuanyanwu K.C.

Abstract

Alstonia boonei and Annona squamosa are two herbs commonly used in Nigerian folk medicine for the management of conditions ranging from malaria to general feverish conditions. In this study, the synergistic effect of both herbs on paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity was examined. Twenty male swiss albino mice (26-28g) were randomly distributed into five groups of four mice per group. The first group (normal control) was administered with normal saline at a dose of 5ml/kg body weight while animals in groups 2-5 were intoxicated with paracetamol administered as a single oral dose of 2500mg/kg body weight. In the next phase of the treatments, animals in groups 1 and 2 were maintained on distilled water, mice in group 3 were treated with silymarin (25mg//kg body weight), while mice in groups 4 and 5 (test groups) were treated with herbal mixture at respective doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight. Treatment lasted for fourteen days. On the 15th day, all mice were sacrificed and blood samples taken for measurement of biochemical and haematological parameters. Liver tissue samples were also examined for antioxidant parameters as well as histopathology. Results showed that at the two doses of the herbal mixture, liver features were preserved comparable to that of mice treated with standard silymarin. It was thus concluded that the di-herbal mixture exhibits hepatoprotective effects on paracetamol intoxicated subjects.

Keywords: Alstonia boonei, Annona squamosa, paracetamol, hepatotoxicity.