Leaf paste of Telfairia occidentalis favourably modulates deleterious effects associated with exposure to diethylnitrosamine in male Wistar rats

Solomon E. Owumi; Jeremiah O. Olugbami; Andrew O. Akinnifesi; Oyeronke A. Odunola

doi:10.1515/jcim-2021-0151

Article

Leaf paste of Telfairia occidentalis favourably modulates deleterious effects associated with exposure to diethylnitrosamine in male Wistar rats

Solomon E. Owumi , Jeremiah O. Olugbami , Andrew O. Akinnifesi and Oyeronke A. Odunola

Published/Copyright: October 21, 2021

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From the journal Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine Volume 20 Issue 3

Abstract

Objectives

Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) is found in workplaces, processed meats, tobacco smoke, whiskey, etc. It is capable of forming DNA-adducts. Fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis [To]) is a medicinal plant, and its herbal preparations have been employed variously in ethnomedicine. Furthermore, it has been reported to possess anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory properties. We investigated the possible mitigating effect of the leaf paste of To on DEN-induced deleterious effects in male Wistar rats.

Methods

Forty-five rats weighing between 100 and 150 g were equally divided into nine groups and treated thus: Group 1 (negative control), Group 2 (0.05 mg/kg carboxymethyl cellulose [CMC] daily), Group 3 (positive control, 25 mg/kg bw DEN administered intraperitoneally thrice per week), Group 4 (25 mg/kg bw quercetin [QUE] daily alone), Groups 5 and 6 (100 and 200 mg/kg bw To daily, respectively), Group 7 (25 mg/kg bw DEN and QUE), Groups 8 and 9 (25 mg/kg bw DEN with 100 and 200 mg/kg bw To, respectively). Blood glucose levels, liver damage biomarkers (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and gamma-glutamyltransferase [γ-GT]), frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocyte (mPCEs), and liver histology were assessed.

Results

DEN significantly (p<0.05) increased blood glucose levels, activities of ALT, AST and γ-GT, and frequency of mPCEs. Histologically, DEN caused a severe architectural anarchy. However, the intervention groups demonstrated the remarkable protective properties of To by ameliorating the adverse effects caused by DEN.

Conclusions

Taken together, the leaf paste of To is capable of mitigating DEN-induced hepatotoxicity and clastogenicity in male Wistar rats.

Keywords: clastogenicity; diethylnitrosamine (DEN); hepatotoxicity; Telfairia occidentalis (To)

Corresponding author: Solomon E. Owumi, Cancer Research and Molecular Biology Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry (Room NB 302), Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, E-mail: zicri@hotmail.com

Research funding: None declared.
Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
Informed consent: No human subject was included in the study.
Ethical approval: The study was carried out in strict compliance with the guidelines for the care and use of animals for research of the University of Ibadan/Animal Care and Use Research Ethics Committee (ACUREC).

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Received: 2021-04-09

Accepted: 2021-09-29

Published Online: 2021-10-21

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2021-0151

Keywords for this article

clastogenicity; diethylnitrosamine (DEN); hepatotoxicity; Telfairia occidentalis (To)