Abstract

Aim: Ocimum gratissimum is used commonly in traditional medicine to treat certain diseases. This study accessed the histological and biochemical effects of aqueous extract of Ocimum gratissimum leaves on the kidney and liver of adult Wistar rats. Methods: Twenty four adult Wistar rats were assigned into four groups (A, B, C and D) of 6 rats each. Group A was used as control, and B, C, and D were the treatment groups. Each treatment group received 300, 400 and 500mg/kg respectively of aqueous extract of Ocimum gratissimum orally for twenty one days. The animals were sacrificed on the 21st day by cervical dislocation. Blood was collected by cardiac puncture for biochemical analysis. The liver and the kidney were collected, fixed in 10% formal saline and processed for light microscopy. Results: Rat weight showed no significant difference between control and treatment group. Biochemical analysis showed very mild decrease in serum ALP, ALT and AST levels when compared with the control. There was no significant difference in serum creatinine and urea levels when compared with the control. The histological study of the liver revealed peripotal inflammatory cell infiltrates and central vein vascular congestion. Histological study of the kidney showed mild to severe intestitial infiltration by inflammatory cells and increased vascular congestion. Conclusion: Ocimum gratissimum may be useful in culinary dishes and also in the treatment of certain ailments but systemic toxicity is also possible and this is dose dependent. Caution should therefore be exercised in the therapeutic use of the plant. Keywords: Ocimium gratissimum, Liver, Kidney, Histology, Biochemical

Highlights

  • Plants food especially vegetables contribute substantially to both local and ethno medicines in developing countries especially Nigeria Okafor, (1980), Gbile and Adesina, (1989)

  • The leaves of Ocimum gratissimum is used for prevention and treatment of gout, catarrh, fever and malaria which has been found to be associated with free generation of radicals (Pamplona, 2004)

  • The result of this study shows that there was no significant difference in the weights of the Wistar rats in the treatment Groups B, C, and D with the control group over the 3 weeks period of administration of the extract and this result was in agreement with the works of Eboh and Ekundina (2012)

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Summary

Introduction

Plants food especially vegetables contribute substantially to both local and ethno medicines in developing countries especially Nigeria Okafor, (1980), Gbile and Adesina, (1989). Leaves of Ocimum gratissimum have been found to contain methylchaylcol, linalool, eugenol, thymol, and xanthamicrol and the amount produced is dependent on the area that is cultivated as well as part of the plant (Okujagu, et al, 2005; Odebiyi and Sofowora, 1978). Ocimum gratissimum has both culinary and medicinal uses (Iwu, 1986). Ocimum gratissimum is used by the Igbo community of south eastern Nigeria in the management of the baby’s cord, to keep the wound surfaces sterile It is used in the treatment of fungal infections, fever, cold and catarrh (Ijeh, et al, 2005)

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