Thesis Abstract

<p> Present investigations were carried out on the effect of ethanol extract of<br>Desmodium velutinum stem on some liver enzymes of albino wistar rats fed with<br>high fat from cow‟s brain. Twelve healthy albino wistar rats were divided into four<br>groups. Group I rats were fed with balanced diet (normal feed, that is grower‟s<br>mash) and tap water. Group II rats were fed with fat diet (cow‟s brain) (3.6g/day)<br>alone. Group III rats received combined mixture of 70% fat diet (cow‟s brain) with<br>30% ethanol extract of Desmoduim elutinum stem (2.7g/day), Group IV rats were<br>fed with fat diet (cow‟s brain) and were administered with a drug atorvastatin<br>(5mg/rat/day). The rats were sacrificed at the end of the experimental (two weeks)<br>period. The plant extract was screened for its phytochemical constituents, using<br>standard procedures. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins,<br>flavonoids, saponins and alkaloids. The liver function tests was assessed by<br>measuring the total bilirubin, total serum protein, direct and indirect bilirubin and<br>liver enzymes such as Alanine amino transferase (ALT), Aspartate amino<br>transferase (AST), Alkaline phosphate (ALP), Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)<br>on the liver of the albino wistar rat. The serum, ALT, ALP, AST and bilirubin<br>concentration of the albino wistar rat increased significantly (P&gt;0.05) compared to<br>their total protein concentration. The result obtained indicate that the ethanol extract<br>of Desmodium Velutinum stem possess hepatoprotective activity on the fatty liver<br>of albino wistar rat fed with fat from cow‟s brain. The studied plant showed variable<br>amount of phytochemicals including flavonoid, alkaloid, saponin, tannins, terpenoid<br>which were determined quantitatively using literature methods. The significant<br>effect of the Desmodium velutinum stem ethanol extract was compared with<br>standard drug, atorvastatin. The result in the present study suggest that the ethanol<br>extract of Desmodium velutinum stem can be used in treating liver diseases.<br>CHAPTER ONE<br>INTRODUCTION<br>The liver is the largest and most complex internal organ in the body. It plays<br>an important role in the maintenance of internal environment through its multiple<br>and diverse functions. Liver is involved in several vital functions such as<br>metabolism, secretion and storage. Hepatitis or inflammatory disorder involves<br>inflammation and change to the hepatocytes. Hepatitis is one of the most prevalent<br>diseases in the world. Every year 18,000 people had been reported to die due to liver<br>cirrhosis caused by viral hepatitis (Wang et al., 2008). Ectopic fat storage occurs in<br>obesity, particularly in the liver leading to a condition termed non alcoholic fatty<br>liver disease (NAFLD) characterized by varying degree of liver injury that<br>progresses from steatosis to tratohepatitis, fibrosis and necrosis. Due to its<br>prominent association with insulin resistance/obesity, NAFLD is regarded as the<br>hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Liver has great capacity to detoxicate<br>toxic substance and synthesizes useful principles. Therefore damage to liver<br>inflicted by hepatotoxic agents is of grave consequences. Experimental studies have<br>reported that animal fed a high fat diet (HFD) for more than two months develop<br>weight, hyperlipidemic, hyperglycemia, oxidative stress and insulin resistance (IR).<br>Besides, consumption of a calorie-rich diet results in lipid accumulation, excess<br>production of inflammatory cytokines and macrophage infiltration that favours the<br>progression of liver disease. Many medicinal plant/indigenous plant have been<br>mentioned and well established as hepatoprotective agents.<br>Desmodium velutinum is a medicinal plant around the world. The extract of<br>Desmodium velutinum showed significant anti-pyretic activity on experimental rats<br>used. Desmodium velutinum is very rich in alkaloids and related amino compounds.<br>It is a source of flavonoid, saponins and pharmacological active agent useful in the<br>treatment of aches and pains. It also showed that one of the uses is for erectile<br>enhancing property. Desmodium velutinum being one of the important medicinal<br>plant in the world may have effect on the liver. However limited studies are<br>available on the effect of Desmodium velutinum treatment on hepatoprotective<br>effect of its extract on high fat diet fed animal. In this regard, the present study was<br>aimed to investigate the effect of ethanol extract of Desmodium velutinum stem on<br>liver function tests on albino wistar rats fed with high fat from cow‟s brain related<br>to different hepatoprotective effect by comparing it to a known drug, atorvastatin<br>treatment which is used to lower the level of cholesterol in blood. Since changes in<br>the concentration and composition of plasma lipid and lipoproteins occur frequently<br>in liver disease, these findings may be useful in following the clinical course of<br>patient with liver diseases of various causes.<br>Liver disease is associated with characteristic changes in the lipid composition of<br>the surface coat of plasma lipoprotein particles. Cholesterol accumulate as hepatic<br>secretion of lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase decreases, such abnormal circulating<br>lipoproteins tend to induce corresponding changes in cell membrane lipid<br>composition. Studies in both human and experimental liver disease confirm that this<br>does occur and that it is wide-spread. Low density lipoproteins, which are rich in<br>cholesterol can also be taken up by the liver or extrahepatic tissues by a receptor<br>mediated endocytosis that specially recognizes apolipoproteins. It can be predicted<br>that extra hepatic membrane dysfunction might be a general feature of severe liver<br>disease. It is proposed that many of the cellular disturbances and metabolic<br>abnormalities accompanying hepatic disease result from, or are exacerbated by<br>lipoprotein induced changes in membrane lipid composition and function. Hence<br>Desmodium velutinum may be a source of a pharmacological active agent useful in<br>the treatment of high level cholesterol in the blood which has got both liver<br>protecting and nutritional value. <br></p>

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