Soursop leaf extract increases neuroglia and hepatic degeneration in female rats

Abstract

<p>BACKGROUND<br />Soursop leaf contains annonaceous acetogenins and alkaloids. The<br />acetogenins act as inhibitors of mitochondrial complex I, suppress ATP<br />production and cause cell degeneration, whereas the alkaloids act as<br />neurotoxins. Neuronal degeneration will be followed by an increase in<br />neuroglia (gliosis). Hepatic clear cell foci represent the morphology of liver<br />degeneration. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of soursop<br />leaf extract on number of neuroglia brain gliosis and hepatic clear cells in<br />female rats.</p><p>METHODS<br />This study was an experimental study with a post-test only control group<br />design. Ten female Sprague-Dawley strain rats were divided into one control<br />and one treatment group. The control group was gavaged with distilled water,<br />while the treatment group was gavaged with aqueous soursop leaf extract at<br />a dose of 1000 mg/kgBW/day for 90 days. Rat brain tissue samples were<br />taken at day 91 with a transcardial perfusion technique. The number of<br />neuroglia in rat cerebral cortex, hippocampus, substantia nigra, and nucleus<br />accumbens and the number of hepatic clear cells were determined.<br />Independent t-test was used to examine the differences in the numbers of<br />neuroglia and hepatic clear cells between control and treatment groups</p><p>RESULTS<br />The results of independent t-test analysis found a significant difference in<br />the number of neuroglia in the cerebral cortex (p=0.015) and nucleus<br />accumbens of the rats (p=0.030), and significant differences in the number<br />of hepatic clear cells (p=0.029).</p><p>CONCLUSIONS<br />Aqueous soursop leaf extract orally increases neuroglia of the cerebral cortex<br />and nucleus accumbens, and hepatic degeneration in female rats.</p>