Ameliorative effects of <i>Cnestis ferruginea</i> root extract on carbon tetrachloride nephrotoxicity in albino Wistar rats

Abstract

The objective of this research was to assess the potential protective properties of ethanol extract derived from Cnestis ferruginea against the toxic effects by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in the kidneys of rats. In this study, male albino Wistar rats were pre-treated with C. ferruginea at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) on a daily basis for a duration of 14 days. Subsequently, a single dosage of CCl4 was administered intraperitoneally on the 7th day of the experiment. The rats were euthanized 24 hours after they were subjected to treatments using the extract on the 15th day. Subsequently, serum and kidneys were obtained and utilized for the analysis of biochemical parameters. Rats grouped as the control which were administered CCl4 experienced kidney damage, as indicated by a statistically significant increase (P < 0.05) in the measured parameters (urea, creatinine, uric acid in serum and malondialdehyde in kidney tissue), and a significant reduction in the levels of oxidative stress marker enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase). It is worth noting that the administration of C. ferruginea to rats exposed to CCl4 resulted in a significant reversal of the aforementioned changes, bringing them closer to a state of normalcy. The result obtained from this study suggest that C. ferruginea possess therapeutic properties which could protect the kidney against renal deterioration and its associated dysfunction.