Volume 17, Issue 40, July - December, 2023

Nauclea latifolia (smith) remediates the splenic architecture following paracetamol – induced toxicity in male Wistar rats

Ekanem Akpan Udo², Edem Gabriel Donatus^1♦, Okon Kingsley Akaninyene¹, Nwafor Paul², Harrison Imekan¹

¹Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria
²Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Rivers State, Nigeria

^♦Corresponding author
Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Nauclea latifolia root extract is used for many therapeutic purposes. This work was carried out to assess the effect of Nauclea latifolia root extract on the spleen following paracetamol toxicity in Wistar rats. A total of forty-two male rats were randomly divided into seven groups of six rats each. Group 1 and 2 served as control and received 10ml/kg body weight of normal saline for seven days, respectively. Rats in group 3,4 and 5 were administered with 40, 80 and 120 mg/kg of Nauclea latifolia extract respectively. In contrast, rats in group 6 received 100mg/kg of silymarin and rats in group 7 received 80mg/kg of Nauclea latifolia extract plus 100mg/kg silymarin, 10 minutes later. On the 8th day, 2000mg/kg of paracetamol was administered to animals in group 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 respectively. On the 9th day, each animal was sacrificed and the spleen was harvested and preserved. The spleen was processed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for microscopic examination. Histological sections of the spleen in group 2 showed proliferation of cells in the mantle and marginal zones while group 3, 4 and 5 showed a reduction of lymphoid cells in the mantle and marginal zones respectively. Similarly, tissue sections from animals in group 6 and 7 showed several histopathologies ranging from lymphoid follicle hyperplasia, infiltration of plasma cells, etc. It is concluded from the study that the root extract of Nuclea latifolia contain certain substances that can reduce the damaging effect of paracetamol on the spleen but not in the presence of silymarin.

Keywords: Nauclea latifolia, Lymphoid cells, Spleen, Silymarin, Paracetamol, Ultrastructure.

Drug Discovery, 2023, 17(40), e35dd1956

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v17i40.e35dd1956

Published: 18 November 2023