Effect of The Dry Aqueous Leaf Extract Of Cnidoscolus Aconitifolius On Blood Alcohol Clearance In Rabbits

Abstract

Herbal therapy or plant based drugs might be useful in the management of alcohol-related complications, hence the influence of various substances on alcohol “affects” are being investigated in a search for a substance which could scavenge radicals produced during ethanol metabolism and accelerate ethanol clearance to reduce blood ethanol levels. Oral administration of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius leaf extract increased blood ethanol clearance rate in a dose dependent manner. The ingestion of 0.55 g ethanol/kg body weight produced a peak blood alcohol level (BAL) of 0.121% and 0.156%. The administration of 0.5 g/kg of the extract produced a peak blood alcohol level (_PBAL) of 0.112% as against 0.121% by ethanol alone. Also, the administration of 1 g/kg of the extract produced a peak blood alcohol level (_PBAL) of 0.127% as against 0.156% by ethanol only. The 0.5 g/kg and 1 g/kg of the extract also reduced the intoxication time (i.e. time to zero BAL) from146min to 137min and 160min to 128min respectively. Results from this study revealed that Cnidoscolus aconitifolius leaf extract might have amethystic property as locally claimed but further investigations is required to show the mechanism on how the extract accelerates ethanol clearance.

Keyword: Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, alcohol, and Blood alcohol level (BAL)