Antioxidant Status, Organ Integrity and Lipid Profile of Carbon Tetrachloride Intoxicated Rats Following Pre-treatment with Methanolic Extract of Crossopteryx febrifuga Benth Leaf

Objective: To evaluate the antioxidant and organ protective activities Crossopteryx febrifuga Benth, in male albino rats.
Methods: Animals were intraperitoneally pretreated with the methanolic extract of the leaf at 10mg/kg dose before intoxication with CCl4 (0.6mL/Kg). The hepatoprotective activity was assessed by measuring levels of aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), packed cell volume (PCV) and hemoglobin (Hb), while the antioxidant status was monitored by levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, and kidney function was evaluated by levels of urea and creatinine. Total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were determined spectrophotometrically at 540nm.
Results: Compared to the CCl4 control group, pre-treatment with methanolic extract of C. febrifuga leaves or vitamin E caused a significant (p<0.05) decrease in the levels of AST, ALT, urea, creatinine and total cholesterol with a concomitant boosting in the levels of SOD, catalase, HDL-cholesterol, PCV and hemoglobin concentrations.
Conclusion: These results suggest that C. febrifuga leaf contain substances that possess significant antioxidant, organ protective and hypolipidemic effects to justify its use in traditional medicine and further evaluation of its pharmacological properties.