Evaluation of the protective effects of bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) on haematological indices of rats fed with crude oil treated diet

A lot of researches are ongoing on the use of plant to ameliorate the toxicity of various toxicants. This study evaluated the protective effects of bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) on haematological indices of rats fed with crude oil treated diet. Twenty four male albino Wister rats with weight range of 200.75g – 217.54g were used for the experiment and were randomly assigned to six groups: group A: Control; group B: Fed with 100g of feed + 5.0g of bitter leaf; group C: Fed with 100g of feed +10.0g of bitter leaf; group D: Fed with 100g of feed + 10g of bitter leaf + 4.0ml of crude oil; group E Fed with 100g of feed + 5.0g of bitter leaf + 4.0ml of crude oil; group F: Fed with100g of feed + 4ml of crude oil. The results showed that treatment of diets with bitter leaf minimized crude oil toxicity, as red blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration; hematocrit values and white blood cell indices were maintained close of the control values. This study indicates that intake of bitter leaf reduced the toxic effect of crude oil treated diet on animals. Therefore, consumption of bitter leaf should be encouraged among the inhabitants of crude oil bearing communities of the world who are exposed to crude oil contaminated food and water.Keywords: Bitter leaf, Crude oil, Diet, Rat

Modulation of crude oil induced alteration of oxidative stress indices in rat by red palm oil

The toxic properties of crude oil were hitherto described. Therefore, several materials are being tested for protective potential counter to petroleum toxicity. This study evaluated the oxidative stress status of rats fed diet incorporating petroleum tainted diet with red palm oil. Four groups with six rats in each group were employed in this study. Rats in group 1 were fed with fish feed only while rats in group 2 were fed with crude oil tainted diet and rats in groups 3 and 4 were fed with contaminated feed that was pre-treated with 4 ml and 8 ml of red palm oil respectively. The rats were exposed to the respective diet for 30 days and had water freely. Thereafter standard analytical methods were used to measure oxidative stress markers in organs/tissues of rats. The results showed that crude oil tainted diet stimulated lipid peroxidation and cause decline in reduced glutathione level, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the organ/tissues of rats which were significant (P < 0.05) relative to control. Pre-treatment of the rat diets with red palm oil significantly (P < 0.05) drop lipid peroxidation and increase level of antioxidant markers in the organ/tissues of rats in relation to the values in rats fed with diet tainted with crude oil only. This study has confirmed that red palm oil can evade the oxidative insult elicited by crude oil intoxication in various organs/tissues. Therefore, red palm oil should be made a major dietary component for inhabitants of petroleum producing areas of the world.Keywords: Antioxidants. Diet, Palm oil, Petroleu

Assessment of antioxidant indices after incorporating crude oil contaminated Catfish and African nutmeg (Monodora myrstica) extracts into rat diet

This study was carried out to assess the antioxidant status of rats fed with diets of catfish contaminated by crude oil and aqueous, ethanol and  diethyl ether extracts of Africa nutmeg. Thirty albino rats of weight 180 to 200 g were used for the experiment. They were divided into six groups of five rats each as follows: group 1: control, group 2: rats fed crude petroleum oil contaminated catfish diet (CPO-CCD) only, group 3: CPOCCD plus tween 80, group 4, 5, and 6 were given CPO-CCD and then treated with M. myristica water extract (MWE), M. myristica ethanol extract (MEE) and M. myristica diethyl ether extract (MDEE). The experiment lasted four weeks. The results showed significant (p < 0.05) decrease in blood reduced glutathione (GSH), blood oxidised glutathione (GSSG), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and increase malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the liver, kidney and brain of rats fed CPO-CCD only and CPO-CCD + tween 80 compared to the control. Administration of MWE, MEE and MDEE to the rats fed CPO-CCD significantly (p<0.05) increased the level of blood GSH, blood GSSG, SOD, CAT and decrease MDA level in the liver, kidney and brain when compared with the CPO-CCD only and CPO-CCD + Tween 80. No significant difference was observed in the blood GSH: GSSG ratio in all the experimental groups. In conclusion, M. myristica extracts exhibited beneficial effect on the antioxidant status by evading the oxidative insults elicited by the CPO-CCD intoxication in the various tissues.Keywords: Petroleum, Diet, Antioxidants Indices, Monodora Myrstica, Africa nutme