The present study was undertaken to explore the ameliorative potential of aqueous extract of Aframomum
melegueta (AM) on cadmium-induced hepatic damage in rats. Toxicity was induced by daily administration of
200 mg/L cadmium: Cd (Cd as CdCl2) in the animals’ main drinking water for 21 days. Lipid peroxidation
(LPO), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were
determined in the liver while total protein, albumin, direct bilirubin and t otal bilirubin concentration as well as
alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities were monitored in the serum
and histological examination was carried out. Exposure to cadmium resulted in various alterations in all the
evaluated parameters. Treatment with AM (200 or 400 mg/kg bw) extract showed a significant (P <0.05)
reversal effect that mitigated the deleterious effect of cadmium. Results of the histological examination also
support the above findings. The results suggest that aqueous extracts of A. melegueta when administered orally,
could ameliorate cadmium-associated oxidative stress in male Wistar rats in a dose dependant manner via its
free radical-scavenging mechanism which could be linked to the synergetic effects between the bioactive
constituents present in the extract