Aqueous extract of Dennettia tripetala ameliorates liver and kidney damage caused by multiple exposures to carbon tetrachloride

Dennettia tripetala Relieves Chronic Hepatorenal Injuries in Rats by Altering fas, sod-1, and tnf-α Expression

The effectiveness of Dennettia tripetala extracts was compared to that of the standard drug, silymarin, in reducing chronic liver and kidney anomalies. Male albino Wistar rats were grouped in tens. Carbon tetrachloride was dissolved in olive oil (1:4) and administered to specific groups at a dose of 3 mL/kg body weight (bw) twice a week for six weeks. From week five, the extracts and silymarin were administered in distilled water daily for two weeks at doses of 250 mg/kg bw and 6 mg/kg bw, respectively, to specific groups. All administrations were carried out using a gavage, with appropriate controls. These results showed that the plant extracts decreased the serum activity of liver marker enzymes, restored the liver and serum lipid profiles as well as serum protein profile, reduced serum, urea, and creatinine, and restored superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the liver and kidneys, which carbon tetrachloride had altered. The extracts also decreased steatosis and centriole congestion in the liver as well as necrosis and structural damage in the kidneys, which carbon tetrachloride caused, and the extracts proved to be as potent as silymarin. The extracts also decreased the expression of fas (P<0.05), sod-1 (P<0.05), and tnf-α (P>0.05) in the liver, which carbon tetrachloride had increased. Conclusively, D. tripetala reduced chronic liver and kidney damage induced by carbon tetrachloride; it reduced the expression of fas, sod-1, and tnf-α in the liver to levels similar to that of the control group, and it was as effective as silymarin.

Anthelmintic activity of methanol extract of Dennettia tripetala G. Baker (Annonaceae) fruits against Haemonchus contortus in red Sokoto goats

Haemonchosis is a gastrointestinal parasitic disease of economic importance in ruminants especially sheep and goats. In view of the rising costs of conventional veterinary anthelmintics and the development of resistance by Haemonchus contortus, there is a need to develop alternative ethnoveterinary therapies for the treatment and management of Haemonchosis. This study investigated the anthelmintic activity of Dennettia tripetala G. Baker (Annonaceae) fruits against Haemonchus contortus in red Sokoto goats. The maximum tolerated dose was determined in adult albino rats administered, 3000, 4000, and 5000 mg/kg body weight of the crude methanol extract (CME) fraction, and observed over a period of 48 h for signs of toxicity and mortality. The in vivo anthelmintic activity was evaluated using 20 kids infected with H. contortus and randomly allocated into 5 groups (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5). Kids in groups 1, 2, and 3 were treated with CME at doses of 1250, 2500, and 5000 mg/kg respectively for 3 consecutive days per os. Groups 4 and 5 were treated with albendazole (7.5 mg/kg) once and distilled water (5 ml) respectively and served as treated and untreated controls. Blood samples were collected for haematology. The maximum tolerated dose of the CME of D. tripetala did not produce observable signs of toxicity or death in all the rats given up to 5000 mg/kg. There was significant (P < 0.05) reduction in faecal egg count by CME at doses of 1250 mg/kg (91.6%), 2500 mg/kg (98.5%), and 5000 mg/kg (100%) at day 14 post-treatment. The total plasma protein (TPP) and FAMACHA© scoring values were significantly improved (P < 0.05) in the treated groups. These results indicate that methanol extract and fractions of D. tripetala fruits possess beneficial anthelmintic activity against H. contortus and may be a suitable alternative anthelmintic candidate for the control of haemonchosis in goats.