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IDOSR JOURNAL OF APPLIED SCIENCES 2(3) 83-89, 2017.
©IDOSR PUBLICATIONS
International Digital Organization for Scientific Research ISSN: 2550-7931
IDOSR JOURNAL OF APPLIED SCIENCES 2(3) 83-89, 2017.
Renal function indices in Wistar rats administered methanol-
ethanol (1:1) leaf extracts of Anacardium occidentale and
Jatropha tanjorensis
Atamgba A. Asuk
1*
1
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Cross River University of Technology, Okuku
Campus, P.M. B 1123 Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
*Corresponding author’s email: raphaelasuk@gmail.com
ABSTRACTS
The effect of methanol-ethanol (1:1) leaf extracts administration of Anacardium occidentale
and Jatropha tanjorensis on renal function indices in Wistar rats was investigated in this
study. The leaves were prepared and extraction done. The low dose and high dose were
established as 10% and 20% respectively after LD
50
was determined for methanol-ethanol
extracts of Jatropha tanjorensis and corresponded to 381 mg/kg bwt and 762 mg/kg bwt
respectively. Then 25 female rats weighing 100 -150 g were divided according to body
weight into 5 groups of 5 rats each. Group I was the normal control (NC) and animals were
given normal feed and water ad libitum. Groups II amd III were given low (381mg/kg bwt)
and high doses (762mg/kg bwt) respectively of Anacardium occidentale, while groups IV
and were given low and high doses respectively of Jatropha tanjorensis. After 14 days of
administration, serum was collected via cardiac puncture and used for analysis of urea and
creatinine. The results revealed a significant ( P<0.05) increase in creatinine levels of the
test groups when compared with the normal control (NC). The serum creatinine levels of
group II and V compared well with each other. However, serum urea levels were
significantly (P<0.05) decreased in groups IV and V while groups II and III showed no
significant difference (P>0.05) compared with the control. Conclusively, the study showed
that combined methanol-ethanol (1:1) leaf extracts of Jatropha tanjorensis have the
potential to improve kidney function, but Jatropha tanjorensis and Anacardium occidentale
extracts affect serum creatinine levels possibly in a similar fashion as cimetidine,
trimethoprim, corticosteroid or vitamin D metabolite.
Keywords: Urea, creatinine, plant extract, combined-solvent extraction and kidney.
INTRODUCTION
The benefits derived from using medicinal herbs in disease management are immense.
Plant medicine is relatively safe, more affordable and sometimes offer better therapeutic
value than synthetic drugs. This is because human beings have co-evolved with plants over
the past decades [1]. Medicinal plants arethe sources of many important scientific drugs of
the modern world [2]. Jatropha tanjorensis (J. tanjorensis) belongs to the family,
Euphorbiaceae [2]. J. tanjorensisis a natural hybrid between J. curcasand J. gossypifolia [3].
Itis a native of Central America and has become naturalized in some tropical and
subtropical countries, like India, Nigeria and Canada [3]. Its primary use is for fencing while
its secondary uses are as a source of edible leafy vegetable and as medicine [4]. J.