Effect of Cadmium and Soursop Leave on the Stomach Histology of Adult Albino Rats

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of cadmium exposure and Annona muricata (soursop) leaf extract on the stomach histology of adult albino rats. Cadmium is a well-known environmental toxicant associated with oxidative stress and tissue damage, while Annona muricata is a medicinal plant with reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Fifty (50) adult albino rats weighing 100–130 g were obtained and acclimatised for two weeks under standard laboratory conditions at the Histopathology Laboratory, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria, with additional laboratory procedures conducted at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State. The animals were randomly divided into five groups (A–E) with ten rats each. Group A served as the control, while Groups B–E received cadmium (0.5 mg/kg) combined with varying doses of Annona muricata (low: 200 mg/kg, medium: 400 mg/kg, high: 800 mg/kg), except Group E, which received cadmium only. Administration was carried out orally using a gavage technique for two weeks. At the end of the experimental period, animals were sacrificed under chloroform anaesthesia, and stomach tissues were harvested, fixed in 10% formol saline, and processed histologically using standard paraffin embedding techniques. Sections were stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin and examined under a light microscope. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20, and results were expressed as mean ± SD at p < 0.05. Histological findings revealed normal gastric architecture in the control group, mild inflammatory cell infiltration in Groups B and C, and mild tissue distortion in Groups D and E. The study concluded that cadmium induced dose-related gastric histological alterations, while Annona muricata offered partial, dose-dependent protective effects against cadmium-induced gastric damage.