Abstract
Arsenic exposure is an issue of concern in developing countries, consequently leading to arsenicosis which has been implicated in the development of cancers. The stem bark of Adansonia digitata (SBAD) has many traditional medicinal uses. The aim of the present study was to assess the antigenotoxic and hepatoprotective effects of methanol extract of SBAD (MESBAD) against sodium arsenite - induced toxicities in Wistar rats. These were assessed using the micronucleus induction assay and liver function tests with histology respectively. Thirty (30) rats distributed into six groups of five animals each were used for the experiment. Negative control (distilled water and rat pellets only), positive control [2.5 mg/kg body weight of sodium arsenite (SA)]. Test animals were challenged with SA and treated with 300 or 400 mg/kg body weight of MESBAD. The phytochemical analysis was also carried out according to standard procedures. The SA significantly (p<0.05) increased the activities of aspartate aminotransferace (AST) and the number of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (nMPCEs) induced in the bone marrow as compared with the negative control. Treatment with MESBAD significantly (p<0.05) reduced the activities of AST and nMPCEs induced, histopatological examination of the liver showed that MESBAD reduced the severe portal and central venous congestion induced by SA, phytochemical analysis showed that MESBAD possess high concentration of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids and total polyphenols. Methanol extract of the stem bark of Adansonia digitata mitigates SA-induced toxicities probably through radical scavenging activities.
References
Adegoke, A. M., Gbadegesin, M. A., Otitoju, A. P. and Odunola, O. A. (2015). Hepatotoxicity and Genotoxicity of Sodium Arsenite and Cyclophosphamide in Rats: Protective Effects of Aqueous Extract of Adansonia digitata L. Fruit Pulp. British Journal of Medicine and Medical Research Vol.8. No.11: 963 – 974.
Agbafor, K. N., Ogbanshi, M. E. and Akubugwo, E. I. (2014). Phytochemical screening, hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of leaf extracts of Zapoteca portoricensis. Advances in Biological Chemistry 4: 35-39.
Ajose, F. O. A. (2007). Some Nigerian plants of dermatologic importance. Int. J. Derm. 46 (suppl 1): 48-55.
Ajuru, M. G., Williams, L. F. and Ajuru G. (2017). Qualitative and Quantitative Phytochemical Screening of Some Plants Used in Ethnomedicine in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences. Vol. 5, No. 5. pp. 198-205.
Amadi, B. A., Agomuo, E. N. and Ibegbulem, C. O. (2004). Research Methods in Biochemistry. Supreme Publishers, Owerri. 90-115.
Atawodi, S. E., Bulus, T., Ibrahim, S., Ameh, D. A., Nok, A. J., Mamman, N., Galadima, M. (2003). In Vitro trypanocidal effect of methanolic extract of some Nigerian savannah plants. Afr. J. Biotechnol. 2: 317-321.
Bao, J. S., Cai, Y., Sun, M., Wang, G. and Corke, H. (2005). Anthocyanins, flavonols, and free radi-cal scavenging activity of Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) extracts and their color properties and stability. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 53: 2327-2332.
Chadare, F. J., Linnemann, A. R., Hounhouigan, J. D., Nout, M. J. R., Van Boekel, M. A. J. (2009). Baobab Food Products: A Review on their Composition and Nutritional Value. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 49: 254-274.
Chen, C. J., Chen, C., Wu, M. and Kuo, T. (1992). Cancer potential in liver, lung, bladder and kidney due to ingested inorganic arsenic in drinking water. Br J Cancer: 66:888-92.
Connor, A. M., Luby, J. J. and Tong, C. B. S. (2002). Variability in antioxidant activity in blueberry and correlations among different antioxidant activity assays. Journal of American Society for Horticultural Science 127: 238-244.
De Caluwé, E., Halamová, K. and Van Damme, P. Adansonia digitata L. – A review of traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology. Afrika focus — Volume 23, Nr. 1, 2010 — pp. 11-51
Deutsche Gesellschaft für klinische Chemie (DGKC) (1972). Empfehlungen der deutschen Gesellschaft für Klinische Chemie Standardisierung von Methoden zur Bestimmung von Enzymaktivitäten in biologischen Flüssigkeiten. (Recommendation of the German Society of Clinical Chemistry. Standardization of methods for measurement of enzymatic activities in biological fluids.) Z Klin Chem Klin Biochem: 10:182-92.
Ejikeme, C. M., Ezeonu, C. S. and Eboatu, A. N. (2014). Determination of physical and phytochemical constituents of some tropical timbers indigenous to Niger Delta Area of Nigeria. European Scientific Journal 10(18): 247–270.
Flanagan, S. V., Johnston, R. B. and Zheng, Y. (2012). Arsenic in tube well water in Bangladesh: health and economic impacts and implications for arsenic mitigation. Bulletin of the World Health Organization; Type: Policy & practice Article ID: BLT.11.101253
Fulladosa, E., Murat, J. C., Bollinger, J. C. and Villaescusa, I. (2007) Adverse effects of organic arsenical compounds towards Vibrio fischeri bacteria. Sci Total Environ: 377:207–213.
Gbadegesin, M.A., Adegoke, A.M., Ewere, E. G. and Odunola, O.A. (2014). Ethanol Extract of Irvingia gabonensis Protects Against Sodium Arsenite Induced Toxicity in Rats. Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences Vol. 29. No. 1: 029 – 036.
Harborne, J. B. (1973). Methods of plant analysis. In: Phytochemical Methods. Chapman and Hall, London.
Hill, A. F. (1952). Economic Botany. A textbook of useful plants and plant products. 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill Book Company Inc, New York USA.
Hughes, M. F., Beck, B. D., Chen, Y., Lewis, A. S. and Thomas, D. J. (2011). Arsenic exposure and toxicology: a historical perspective. Toxicological Sciences 123, 305–332.
IARC, (1973). Arsenic and inorganic arsenic compounds. In: Some Inorganic and Organometallic Compounds.
Jimoh, F. O. and Oladiji, A. T. (2005). Preliminary studies on Pilostigma thonningii seed: proximate analysis, medicinal composition and phytochemical screening, African Journal of Biotechnology. Vol. 4, No. 12. pp. 1439-1442.
Karumi, Y., Augustine, A. I., Umar, I. A. (2008). Gastroprotective effects of aqueous extract of Adansonia digitata leaf on ethanol-induced ulceration in rats. J. Biol. Sci. 8: 225-228.
Keay, R. W. J. (1989). Trees of Nigeria. Clarendon Press, Oxford; 137p.
Kittakoop, P., Mahidol, C. and Ruchirawat, S. (2014). “Alkaloids as important Scaffolds in therapeutic drugs for the treatments of cancer, tuberculosis and smoking cessation”. Cur Top Med Chem. Vol. 14, No. 2. pp. 239-252.
Kunitz, M. (1947). Crystalline soybean trypsin inhibitor: II. General properties. The Journal of General Physiology 20: 291–310.
Mallick, P., Mallick, J. C., Guha, B. and Khuda-Bukhsh, A. R. (2003). Ameliorating effect of microdoses of a potentized homeopathic drug, Arsenicum Album, on arsenic-induced toxicity in mice. BMC Complement Altern Med 3: 7.
Matter, B. and W. Schmid. (1971). Bone Marrow Toxicity. Mutation Res 12:417-25.
Munro, A. and Bassir, O. (1969). Oxalates in Nigerian vegetables. West African Journal of Biology and Applied Chemistry, 12: 14-18.
Nair, S., Nagar, R. and Gupta, R. (1998). Antioxidant phenolics and flavonoids in common Indian foods. Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 46: 708-71
O’Neil, L., Kim-Standage, W. S., Hughes, G. B. and Murray, K. B. (2000). In: Watson, R. R., 2000, Ed. Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs in Health Promotion, C. R. C. Press, USA.
Odunola, O. A., Akinwumi, K. A., Ogunbiyi, B. and Tugbobo, O. (2007). Interaction and Enhancement of the Toxic Effects of Sodium Arsenite and Lead Acetate in Wistar Rats. African Journal of Biomedical Research 10: 59 – 65.
Preston, R. J., Dean, B. J., Galloway, S., Hoden, H., Mcfee, A.F. and Shelby, M. (1987). Mammalian in vivo cytogenetic assays: Analysis of chromosome aberrations in bone marrow cells. Mutat Res. 189: 157-65.
Ramadan, A., Harraz, F. M. and El-Mougy, S. A. (1994). Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effects of the fruit pulp of Adansonia digitata. Fitoterapia, 65: 418-422.
Reddy, N., Anjum, M., Aveti, S. and Raju, G. M. (2015). Hepatoprotective Activity of Methanolic Extract of Whole Plant of Rhynchosia beddomei in Wistar Rats. J Pharm Chem Biol Sci: 3(3):378-387
Reitman, S. and Frankel, S. (1957). A colorimetric method for the determination of serum glutamic oxalacetic and glutamic pyruvic transaminases. American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 28: 56-63.
Scalbert, A., Manach, C., Morand, C., Rémésy, C. and Jiménez, L. (2005). Dietary polyphenols and the prevention of diseases. Critical Reviews on Food Science and Nutrition. Vol. 45, No. 4. pp. 287-306.
Sibibe, M., Williams, J. T. (2002). Baobab – Adansonia digitata. Fruits for the future 4, International Centre for Underutilised Crops, Southampton, UK, 96p.
Singleton, V. L., Orthofer, R. and Lamuela-Raventos, R. M. (1999). Analysis of total phenols and other oxidation substrates and antioxidants by means of Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. Methods in Enzymology 299: 152–178.
Smith, A. H., Goycolea, M., Haque, R. and Biggs, M. (1998). Marked increase in bladder and lung cancer mortality in a region of northern Chile due to arsenic in drinking water. Am J Epidemiol:147:660-9.
Smith, A. H., Lingas, E. and Rahman, M. (2000). Contamination of drinking-water by arsenic in Bangladesh: a public health emergency. Bull World Health Organ: 78:1093-103.
Sulaiman, L. K., Oladele, O. A., Shittu, I. A., Emikpe, B. O., Oladokun, A. T. and Meseko, C. A. (2011). In-ovo evaluation of the antiviral activity of methanolic root-bark extract of the African Baobab (Adansonia digitata Lin. African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 10 (20), pp. 4256 – 4258.
Szasz, G. (1974). Determination of GGT activity. Methods of Enzymatic Analysis. 2nd English edition. Academic Press Inc. New York pp 715 – 720.
Tanko, Y., Yerima, M., Mahdi, M. A., Yaro, A. H., Musa, K. Y., Mohammed, A. (2008). Hypoglycemic Activity of the methanolic Stem Bark of Adansonia digitata extract on Blood Glucose Levels of Streptozocin-Induced diabetic Wistar Rats. International Journal of Applied Research in Natural Product. Vol.1(2).pp32-36.
Tietz, N. W., Burtis, C. A., Ducan, P., Ervin, K., Petitclera, C. J., Rinker, A. D., Shney, D. and Zygowicz, E. R. (1983). A reference method for measurement of alkaline phosphatase activity in human serum. Clinical Chemistry 29: 751-761.
Van Buren, J. P. and Robinson, W. B. (1981). Formation of Complexes between Protein and Tannic Acid. Journal of Agric Food Chemistry 17: 772 –777.
Vimalanathan, S., Hudson, J. B. (2009). Multiple inflammatory and antiviral activities in Adansonia digitata (Baobab) leaves, fruits and seeds. J. Med. Plan. Res. 3(8): 576-582.
Yeshua’u, M., Hamza, M. M and Abdullahi, N. (2010). Antibacterial activity of Adansonia digitata stem bark extracts on some clinical bacterial isolates. International Journal of Biomedical and Health Sciences. Vol.6.No.3 129-135.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2021 Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences