TITLE

EFFECTS OF ETHANOL EXTRACT OF GARCINIA KOLA SEEDS ON

HEPATORENAL PARAMETER ON ALLOXAN INDUCED DIABETIC ADULT MALE
WISTAR RATS

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Ndubuisi Nonso Richards1 , Gabriel Boniface C.1 , Ezeokafor Emmanuel 2,
Obianuo Sussan C 3

1
Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Physical Sciences University of
Nigeria, Nsukka. 2 Physiology Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. 3 Department of
Pharmacology, Ben-Carson Snr. School of Health and Medical Science, Babcock Universiy,
Ogun State

Corresponding author’s email; richards.ndubuisi@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

It has been difficult to completely cure diabetes mellitus utilizing standard medications for
treatment and control. Drugs are an important cause of liver injury. More than 900 drugs, toxins,
and herbs have been reported to cause liver injury and drugs account for 20-40% of all instances
of fulminant hepatic failure. Effects of ethanol extract of garcinia kola seeds on hepatorenal
parameter and its anti diabetic effect on alloxan induced diabetic adult male Wistar rats were
investigated. Wister rats (n = 25) weighing about 230g each were used. They were grouped into
five consisting of 5 rats each. Group B, C, D & E were induced with alloxan at a dose of
160mg/kg body weight and elevated glucose level was confirmed. Group C and D were
administered with 300mg/kg and 500mg/kg of the G. kola extract respectively for 14 days, group
E was treated with 120mg/kg of standard drug (glibenclamide). Group B served as control and
was not treated while group A was not induced nor treated (normal). The blood glucose level of
each animal was determined at the end of each week using glucose monitor machine. Result after
14 days showed a significant decrease (P ≤0.05) in the glucose level of the test groups when
compared with the control group (group B). There were no significant difference (p≥0.05)
between the extract and standard drug used at different doses. Blood sample of each animal was
collected and kidney / liver function analyzed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
(ELISA). Results obtain showed no significant difference (p≥0.05) among all the groups tested
for kidney function (urea & creatinine) when compared with control. The entire liver enzyme
studied showed a significant increase (P ≤0.05) at a dose of 300mg/kg when compared with
control group. This study suggests that whereas G. kola has therapeutic effect against diabetes
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and has no negative effect on the kidney. However, the use of garcinia kola to treat diabetes may
cause adverse effect to the liver.

Key words; Hepatorenal Indices, Bitter Kola, Diabetic Mellitus

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