Cosmas O Ujowundu, Ahmed O Oyarebu, Linus A Nwaogu and Favour N Ujowundu
This study determined the potential hepatotoxicity of Paraquat dichloride (PQ) and ameliorative effect of selected nutritional supplements. Male Wistar albino rats were intraperitoneally administered sub-lethal concentration of Paraquat dichloride (1.5 mg/kg body weight) at alternate days and concomitantly treated daily with nutritional supplements (glutathione, vitamin C and garlic) for three weeks. Hepatotoxic and protective effect of PQ and nutritional supplements were respectively determined by assay of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities, and determination of bilirubin, total protein, and albumin concentrations. Oxidative stress and antioxidant status were determined by total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde, and glutathione concentrations. The result obtained showed that PQ administration induced elevations of AST, ALT and ALP activities, increase in serum bilirubin, and significant decrease albumin, indicating hepatic dysfunction. Significant increase in lipid peroxidation productmalondialdehyde (MDA), and decrease in glutathione concentration and total antioxidant capacity confirms the potential of PQ to induce oxidative hepatic damage. However, the results showed that oral administration of vitamin C and garlic were effective in the protection against paraquat induced toxicity. The mode of toxic action of PQ and the effect of vitamin C, garlic and glutathione in preventing or reducing these toxic effects were discussed in details. It is concluded that vitamin C and garlic might be an important antioxidant in the treatment of PQ induced toxicity.
