Therapeutic Effect of Methanolic Extract of Telfairia occidentalis Leaves against Ethanol-Induced Oxidative Stress in Wistar Rats

This study sought to investigate the therapeutic effect
of methanolic extract of Telfairia occidentalis leaves
against acute ethanol-induced oxidative stress in
Wistar rats. Fresh plants of T. occidentalis were
purchased from Oja-Oba Market in Ibadan. The
leaves were dried and extracted using soxhlet
apparatus and methanol as the solvent. The methanol
was evaporated in a rotary evaporator at 35 oC with
a yield of 2.31g representing a percentage yield of
9.24%. Twenty adult male Wistar rats were used for
this study. They were randomly divided into four
groups of five rats each. Animals in groups 1 and 2
were administered saline solution while those in
groups 3 and 4 were administered T. occidentalis
extract for twenty-one days. At the end of the
treatment, they were fasted overnight and animals in
groups 2 and 4 were exposed to a single dose of 70%
ethanol at 12 ml/kg body weight to induce oxidative
stress. After 12 hours of ethanol administration, the
animals were anaesthetized using diethyl ether and
were sacrificed. Liver was excised, weighed and
homogenized in 50 mmol/L Tris–HCl buffer (pH 7.4)
and then centrifuged at 5000 × g for 15 minutes for
biochemical analysis. Supernatants were immediately
kept frozen for further analysis. Ethanol-induced
oxidative stress significantly increased the activities
of AST, ALT, LDH, LPO, CAT, SOD and GPX but
decreased GSH. These effects were regulated by T.
occidentalis administration. T. occidentalis was able
to remedy the effect of ethanol by regulating the
oxidative stress biomarkers, thus possesses
therapeutic effect against ethanol-induced oxidative
stress and can protect the body against free radicals
arising from oxidative stress