Kidney Function Evaluation in Wistar rats after Phyllantus amarus Aqueous Leaf Extract Oral Administration

Abstract

Aqueous leaf extract of Phyllanthus amarus is being employed in the treatment of different diseases in North Western part of Nigeria, and because plants phytochemistry differs from one region to another as a result of variation in soil constituents. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of ingestion of aqueous leaf extract of Phyllanthus amarus obtained from this region on kidney functions in Wistar rats. The oral acute toxicity of the extract (LD 50 ) was determined in 9 Wistar rats divided into 3, 3 rats per group. Group 1 was the control and received distilled water. Doses of 2000mg/kg and 5000mg/kg were administered in a single oral dose to the study groups (2 and 3) respectively, one animal per day. A sub-chronic toxicity study was carried out in 25 Wistar rats, divided into 5 groups of 5 rats each. Group 1 served as the control and received distilled water and standard rat pellets. The experimental
groups (2, 3, 4 and 5) were administered with different doses of 250mg/kg, 500mg/kg, 750mg/kg, 1000mg/kg of Phyllanthus amarus aqueous leaf extract daily respectively for 28 days. At the end of the experiment, the rats were sacrificed and blood samples taken for kidney function assessment and kidney for histological examination using standard techniques. No death was recorded in the rats after 24hours and up to 14 days post oral treatment in acute toxicity study, in sub-chronic toxicity study, the result did not reveal dose-response relationship in all the parameters, as the values obtained for the control and experimental animals were fluctuating within the reference range. Histology of the kidney reveals normocytic normochromic cells. The findings have shown that aqueous leaf extract of Phyllanthus amarus is relatively safe and may not be nephrotoxic in Wistar rats, and thus may not produce kidney damage in human.