Toxicity evaluation and protective effect of Rhus longipes Engl. leaf extract in paracetamol induced oxidative stress in wister rats

Abstract

Aim: Acute toxicity and protective effect of ethanol leaf extract of Rhus longipes Engl. against Paracetamol induced oxidative stress was investigated. The LD50 of the leaf extract was determined using up and down technique and the effect of 1/10th and 1/20th/ LD50 of the extract on antioxidants enzymes and non-enzymes were assessed in the serum and isolated liver of normal and Paracetamol intoxicated rats. Data obtained were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Dunnett’s t-test was used as the test of significance. Values were considered significant at P value < 0.05. The results obtained indicated that LD50 of Rhus longipes Engl. leaf extract is greater than 5000 mg/kg /body weight. A significant (p<0.05) increase was observed in the level of hepatic (H) TBARs (81.97%), Catalase (38.42%) and serum (S) TBARs (164.44%) and catalase (64.72%) respectively but, a significant (P<0.05) decrease in hepatic activities of SOD, GPX, GR, vitamin C and E in paracetamol treated groups when compared with the serum and normal control group respectively. The extracts (250 and 500 mg/kg/body/weight) and the standard silymarin significantly (p<0.05) restored the derange antioxidants parameters to near normal in dose dependent manners. The activities of the extract at the highest concentration (500 mg/kg/b.wt) compared favourably with the standard drug. The results suggested that the leaf extract of Rhus longipes Engl. contain bioactive compounds which could protect against toxicity induced oxidative stress. The results of this study can be used as a basis for further investigations in the search for the bioactive principle.