Ameliorative Efficacy of Phytochemical Content of Corchorus olitorius Leaves against Acute Ethanol-induced Oxidative Stress in Wistar Rats

Aim: This study is aimed at investigating the ameliorative efficacy of methanolic extract of Corchorus olitorius leaves against acute ethanol-induced oxidative stress in Wistar rats.

Methods: Fresh plants of C. olitorius were harvested from the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan. The leaves were dried and extracted using soxhlet apparatus and methanol as the solvent. The methanol was evaporated in a rotary evaporator at 35°C with a yield of 2.17 g which represents a percentage yield of 8.68%. Twenty adult male Wistar rats with body weight between 120 and 150 g were used for this study. They were randomly divided into four groups of five rats each. Animals in groups 1 and 2 were administered saline solution while those in groups 3 and 4 were administered C. olitorius extract for twenty-one days. The animals were administered the extract and saline solution at a dose of 4 mL per 100 g body weight 12 hourly via oral route of administration. At the end of the treatment, they were fasted overnight and animals in groups 2 and 4 were exposed to a single dose of 70% ethanol at 12 ml/kg body weight to induce oxidative stress. After 12 hours of ethanol administration, the animals were anaesthetized using diethyl ether and were sacrificed. Liver was excised, weighed and homogenized in 50 mmol/L Tris–HCl buffer (pH 7.4) and then centrifuged at 5000 × g for 15 minutes for biochemical analysis. Supernatants were immediately kept frozen for further analysis.

Results: Ethanol-induced oxidative stress significantly increased the activities of AST, ALT, LDH, LPO, CAT, SOD and GPX but decrease GSH. These effects were regulated by C. olitorius administration.

Conclusion: C. olitorius was able to remedy the effect of ethanol by regulating the oxidative stress biomarkers, thus possesses ameliorative efficacy against ethanol-induced oxidative stress and can protect the body against free radicals arising from oxidative stress.