AQUEOUS EXTRACT

Cadmium is a toxicant that is not just harmful to the gonads but also the liver. In this study, the ameliorating potentials of Cyperus esculentus on cadmium induced toxicity in Liver was evaluated. Thirty-five male albino wistar rats divided into five groups consisting of seven rats each were used for this experiment. All rats were treated orally via gavage for 28 days. The
group 1 served as the control group was administered normal saline while group 2 was treated with Cadmium only (3 mg/kg body weight). Groups 3 and 4 were co-treated with cadmium and Cyperus esculentus extract at doses of 2 and 4 mL/kg body weight respectively. Following this, histopathology were analysed for all the rats. Biochemically, SOD, CAT and
MDA activities were significantly altered (p<0.05) in cadmium treated group. Group 3 rats showed no significant alteration in SOD, CAT and MDA level. However, there was a significant increase in CAT activities in all rats. Histological section through the liver showed inflammation and necrosis in rats in group 2. However, the histology cross section in group 4 and 5 appeared to have recovered from the damages induced by cadmium. These results showed that Cyperus esculentus ameliorated the toxic effects induced by cadmium on the liver by restoring the morphology of the liver in a dose dependent manner.

Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn. (Roselle) is an annual shrub which is popular in Asian and African countries including Nigeria. It is used as a medicinal plant for the treatment of various disease conditions such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia [Chukwunonso K. Nwabufo and O Olusanya, (2017) ] This study was undertaken to investigate the mitigating effect of Aqueous extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx on lead induced toxicity on testes and epididymis of adult Wistar rats. Twenty male rats weighing 150g - 180g were used for this study, the rats were divided randomly into four groups A, B, C, and D consisting of 5 rats each. Group A served as control group and B, C, D were treatment groups. The rats were fed with Grower's mash animal feed and given water throughout the period of this study (60 days). Group A was just given food and water. Treatment group B was given 0.1ml of lead acetate via orogastric tube for 60 days. Group C was given Hibiscus sabdariffa extract 500mg/kg BW for 60 days. Group D was given 0.1ml of lead acetate and Hibiscus sabdariffa Aqueous extract 500mg/kg for 60 days. This study suggests that Hibiscus sabdariffa extract has some curative and preventive effect against testes and epididymis toxicity caused by lead acetate. These effects were supported by the restoration of histological architecture of the testes