Abstract

PHYTOCHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS OF KOLA NITIDA BARK EXTRACT AND ITS EFFECT ON THE LIVER MARKERS OF ALBINO WISTAR RATS FED WITH HIGH FAT DIET

*Udeozo I.P., 1Eze-Steven P.E., Ugwu Chidiebere E., Obeagu Emmanuel and Okenini Sir Edirin

ABSTRACT

Kola bark extracts have been widely used in traditional medicine forthousands of years. The study was on the hepatoprotectiveroles of kola bark extract on high fat fed Wistar rats. Apparentlyhealthy adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of sixrats each. Group I rats were treated with 10mg/ml of high fat diet +5mg/kg body weight of kola bark extract. Group II rats were fed withnormal feed+ 5mg/kg body weight of normal saline. Group III ratswere treated with 10mg/ml of high fat diet+ 5mg/kg body weightof normal saline while Group IV rats were treated with (10mg/ml ofhigh fat diets + 5mg/kg body weight of atorvastatin standard drug. Therats were sacrificed at the end of the experiment (two weeks) period. The phytochemicalanalysis of the bark extract revealed the presence of alkaloids and flavonoids in a very highconcentration, tannins in moderately high concentration, saponins and hydrogen cyanidein minutely low concentration. Group III rats substantially elevated its serum AST, ALT,ALP and bilirubin while its total protein level decreased. The levels of all parameters weresignificantly restored towards normalization by the kola bark extract after treatment. Theresults obtained suggest that the kola bark extract could be a potent hepatoprotectivedrug. Keywords : Kola bark extract, hepatoprotective role, meal, Lipitor and high fat-diet.

Keywords: saponins, AST, ALT, ALP.