Effect of Methanol Extract of Gomphrena celesioides on Chloroquine-Induced Hepatotoxicity and Oxidative Stress in Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

Hepatic injury has been reported to be associated with chloroquine therapy. Gomphrena celesioides has been claimed to have pleiotropic protective properties in the liver by traditional herbal practitioner but there is no scientific evidence to this claim. This investigation therefore sought to evaluate the effect of Gomphrena celesioides administration on chloroquine-induced hepatic injury in rats. Forty adult male rats were divided into five groups of eight rats and were treated orally once daily. Rats in group one received 1 ml/kg body weight of 0.9% normal saline; rats in group two received 250 mg/kg body weight of chloroquine for three days; groups three, four and five rats were pre-treated with 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg body weight of methanol extract of Gomphrena celesiodes for three days and on the fourth day were given 250 mg/kg body weight of chloroquine for three days. The experiment lasted for seven days. Liver injury was manifested biochemically by a significant increase in serum level or activities of hepatic markers (aminotransferases, alkaline phosphate, bilirubin, cholesterol and gamma glutamyl transferase). In addition, hepatic tissue from chloroquine-treated rats showed a significant increase in lipid peroxidation with a decrease in hepatic superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione reservoirs. Moreover, the liver histopathologic evaluation revealed significant in chloroquine-treated rats. Gomphrena celesioides administration significantly alleviated chloroquine-induced pathologic changes in serum biochemistry and liver tissue. The results also suggest that Gomphrena celesioides possesses protective properties against chloroquine-induced liver injury via mitigation of drug-induced oxidative stress and its consequent events.