Biochemical and Histopathological Changes in Wistar Rats Following Chronic Administration of Diherbal Mixture of Zanthoxylum leprieurii and Piper guineense

Abstract

The effects of chronic administration of three oral doses (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg body weight) of ethanol extract of diherbal mixture of Zanthoxylum leprieurii and Piper guineense on some biochemical parameters, liver and testicular histology of male wistar rats weighing between 190 – 230 g was investigated. The twenty rats used for the study were randomly divided into four groups of five rats each, group A (Control) were orally administered once daily with 1ml of distilled water (vehicle), the test groups B, C and D received 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg body weight of the extract once daily in 1ml of the vehicle. At the end of the treatment period of 42 days the animals were sacrificed with blood samples, liver and testes collected for analysis. There were significant increase (P < 0.05) in aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in all test groups in a dose related manner except the 50mg/kg body weight on AST levels. Serum total protein was not influenced significantly (P > 0.05), serum albumin (ALB), globulin (GLO), albumin globulin ratio (A/G), total bilirubin (TB) and conjugated bilirubin (CB) were all significantly affected (P < 0.05) in a dose related manner except the 50mg/kg body weight on conjugated bilirubin levels. Histopathological examination of testes of the treated group’s revealed distortion of seminiferous tubules with no proper coordination between boundaries and delay in the maturation of germ cells which may adversely affect reproductive function, the liver of the treated groups showed micro to macrovesicular steatosis (fatty change) which is an obvious signs of toxicity.

Keywords: Biochemical, Histopathology, Diberbal, Zanthoxylum leprieurii and Piper guineense