Assessment of Body Weight and Organ (Liver and Kidney) Histopathology of Albino Rats Fed with Aqueous Extract of Fermented Seeds of Prosopis africana and Orlistat

Abstract

Aims: The present study aims to assess the body weight and organ histopathology of albino rats fed with aqueous extract of fermented seeds of Prosopis africana and orlistat. Study Design: The design of the study entails monitoring the effect of aqueous extract of fermented seeds of Prosopis africana in rats both in acute toxicity (24hrs) study and chronic toxicity study (for twenty-one days). Place and Duration of Study: Biochemistry laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Nigeria Nsukka. Between December 2023 and October 2024. Methodology: Acute toxicity test was done using Lorke’s method. Twenty (20) adult Wistar albino rats were used for this study. The animals were acclimatized for two weeks, fed on rat pellets and allowed free access to clean water ad libitum. The animals were grouped into five groups, designated as groups I – V. Group I served as the control group that received distilled water (5 ml/kg). Groups II, III and IV were given 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight of the extract respectively while group V were given 12.5 mg/kg body weight of Orlistat. The weights of the experimental subject were checked using an electronic weighing balance for twenty-one days. Histopathological examination of hepatocytes and kidney cells of the wistar albino rats was done. Results: Result of the acute toxicity study (LD50) test, showed that there was no mortality or any significant change in the behavior of the mice that received 5000 mg/kg of the plant extract after 24h. The effect of aqueous extract of fermented seeds of Prosopis africana on body weight of the animals showed that the body weight of animals in groups 2, 3, and 4 fed with 50mg/kg, 100mg/kg and 200mg/kg respectively, reduced significantly (p < 0.05) in the first week of measurements compared to the standard drug orlistat, while an increase in the body weight was observed in animals in groups 2, 3 and 4 compared to the animals in the control group 1. Histopathological investigations clearly showed that aqueous extract of fermented seeds of Prosopis africana caused no significant adverse changes in the organs like kidney and liver. Conclusion: The result showed that aqueous extract of fermented seeds of Prosopis africana (okpeye) did not significantly alter liver or kidney weights compared to the normal saline control group or to the group treated with orlistat.