The effect of n-hexane extract of kola nitida bark on liver function test of albino wistar rats fed with high fat from cow‘s brain

Thesis Overview

<p> 1.0 INTRODUCTION<br>BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY<br>Liver is the largest and most complex internal organ in the body. It plays<br>an important role in the maintenance of internal environment through its<br>multiple and diverse functions. Liver is involved in several vital functions such<br>as metabolism, secretion and storage. Hepatitis or inflammatory disorder<br>involves inflammation and damage to the hepatocytes. Hepatitis is one of the<br>most prevalent diseases in the world. Every year 18,000 people had been<br>reported to die due to liver cirrhosis caused by viral hepatitis [L] Ectopic fat<br>storage occurs in obesity particularly in the liver leading to a condition termed<br>nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD] characterized by varying degree of<br>liver injury that progresses from steatosis to tratohepatitis, fibrosis and necrosis<br>Due to its prominent association with IR (insulin resistance). Obesity, NAFLD<br>is regarded as the hepatic manifestation of metabolite [3] syndrome. Liver has<br>great capacity to detoxicate toxic substances.<br>Kola pod is the traditional health food around the world. Kola pod Husk<br>meal is the residue after grinding the pod of kola and filtration, and it is an<br>excellent source in slightly high in fiber (16.74%), low in crude protein<br>(9.98%), moderate NFE (42.391) and metabolizable energy 2497 kcal/kg, and<br>ash content is relatively high. (13.26%). when companied with the values<br>reported by (Oluokun, 1999) ;(Hamzat and Babatunde, 2001). These<br>differences might be due to varietals differenced and shelf life of the test<br>ingredient before analysis. However, the crude protein content fairly put kola<br>pod husk meal (KPHM) with feed ingredients like Sorghum while the fibre<br>content put it in same proximate composition with Bremer‘s grains. Kola pod<br>being one of the important pods for medical treatment in the world. The kola<br>pod husk provides some essential materials for doth drying. The pod bark,<br>when mixed with some ingredients is used in traditional medicine to reduce<br>Labour pains. The bark is used in treating swellings and fresh wounds. The<br>roots provide excellent chewing sticks for cleaning the teeth and the wood is<br>used in local carvings coachwork and boatbuilding.<br>Lipid refers to the different kind of fats present in the bodies of human plasma<br>include triglyceride (TG), phospholipids (PL), cholesterol esters (CE), and free<br>cholesterol (FC) and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA. Each lipid plays a<br>different role in our bodies yet all of them except free cholesterol (FC) contain<br>esters of long chain fatty acid in their structures. Lipids are insoluble in<br>plasma due to their non- polar structures thus; they need some carriers that are<br>soluble in polar and non- polar environment. Lipids are packaged and carried<br>in the form of lipoprotein, which is a molecule that contains both protein (i.e.<br>apolipoprotein) and lipids.<br>Statins (lipitor) are group of drugs approved for their Cholesterol<br>reduction properties and are commonly used to treat atherosclerosis and<br>coronary artery disease. These drugs inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl<br>Coenzyme A (HMG-COA) reductase. The rate limiting enzyme in cholesterol<br>biosynthesis; which converts HMG.CoA to mevalonate. Apart from<br>cholesterol, mevalonate is also the substrate for the synthesis of nonsteroid,<br>isoprenoids such as coenzyme Q. Depletion of these isoprenoids results in the<br>so called plelotropic effects of statins which are independent of cholesterol.<br>Lowering effect.These plelotropic effects of anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic<br>and ant-proliferative effect. In addition, data from experimental and<br>observational studies indicated that statins have neuroprotective effects and be<br>a treatment option for neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous<br>system and the ocular structures particularly the retina (schemer, 2007). Statins<br>(Atorvastatin) is widely used in the treatment of hepatic diseases. They have<br>been widely used in chinning proactive as cholesterol lowering agents to<br>reduce mobility and mortality from coronary artery diseases. It also has an<br>effect in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple<br>sclerosis.<br>However, limited studies are available on the effect of kola pod husk meal<br>treatment on hepatoprotective effect in high fat diet fed animal in this regard,<br>the present study was aimed to investigate the effect of kola pod meal on highfat<br>fed rats related to different hepatoprotective effect by comparing Lipitor<br>Treatment. <br></p>