Evaluation of the Effects of Co-administration of Ethanol Leaves Extracts of Andrographis paniculata Leaves and Phyllanthus amarus on Albumin, Globulin and Bilirubin in Heavy Metal Treated Albino Wistar Rats

Abstract

The effect of co-administration of ethanol leaves extracts of Andrographis paniculata and Phyllanthus amarus on albumin, globulin and bilirubin in a heavy metal treated albino Wistar rats was evaluated. Twenty-five male rats (130-170g) were assigned five groups of five animals each. Groups 1,2, 3 and 5 were treated with thirty percent of the LD50 of cadmium each before administration of plant extracts. Group 1 was administrated with 400mg/kg of A.paniculata and P. amarus at 50:50 dosage ratio. Groups 2 and 3 were administered with 400mg/kg of A.paniculata and P. amarus respectively. Group 4 was neither treated with heavy metal nor administered with the leave extracts and served as normal control, but Group 5 that was treated with heavy metal without plant extracts served as positive control. The animals were all fed with commercial rat mash and with distilled water throughout three weeks of extract administration. At the end of 21 days, the result revealed a non-significant decrease in mean albumin and globulin levels in the treatment groups when compared to the normal control and positive control. But the mean serum albumin, globulin and bilirubin levels in the positive control group were highest compared to the treatment groups. The result also indicated a significant decrease in direct bilirubin in the treated group when compared to the normal and positive control groups (P>0.05). Significant decrease was also recorded in the mean serum direct bilirubin level in the group 2 compared to the normal and positive control groups (P<0.05). These results show that ethanol extracts ofP. amarus and A.paniculata leaves could inhibit the oxidative stress that would have been caused by cadmium toxicity, therefore, the two plants leaves are hepatoprotective in nature and could be used as an hepatoprotective agents.