ADULT WISTAR RATS.

Lawsonia inermis commonly known as henna has been used traditionally, especially in ayurvedic medicine, for various conditions including liver ailments, and reported to have hepatoprotective properties. This study aims to study the effect of aqueous extract of L.
inermis leaves in acute ethanol induced hepatic damage in adult Wistar rats. Thirty (30) female rats were equally divided into five (5) groups (I-V). Group I which served as control received distilled water for 28 days. Group II received Lawsonia inermis for 28 days. Group
III received 100 mg/kg of lead acetate only for 28 days. Group IV simultaneously received 100 mg/kg of lead acetate and treated with 70mg/kg of silymarin for 28 days to serve as reference drug. Group V simultaneously received 100mg/kg of lead acetate and treated with
200mg/kg of L. inermis for 28 days. Group VI simultaneously received 100mg/kg of lead acetate and treated with 400mg/kg of L. inermis for 28 days. Group VII received 400mg/kg of L. inermis and followed with 100mg/kg of lead acetate after 30 minutes for 28 days. All
animals were sacrificed on the twenty ninth (29th) day. Body weight changes and liver body weight index were determined. Liver tissues were collected for assessment of enzymes concentration, and also for haematoxylin and eosin staining. Body weight increased in all
groups from initial mean weight of 180.1 g, though significantly (p<0.05) only in Group IV, Group V and Group VI. Liver body weight index was highest in Group I, and was significantly (p<0.05) different from Group III and Group V. Lead administration reduced level of enzyme aspartate Transferase significantly and increased the value of total bilirubin significantly of (P<0.05) although decrease was seen in enzymes like unconjugated bilirubin, alkaline phosphate and alanine Transferase and increased in conjugated bilirubin but these
were not significant to (P<0.05) H&E staining revealed attenuation of the effects of Lead administration by the extract and silymarin, though the extract proved more effective at 400 mg/kg dose and duration of 28 days. Promising result was also observed in the group that
received 200mg/kg dose over a duration of 28 days.

Many different forms of exposure to Cadmium have been shown over the past century with Cadmium
been present in the environment as a result of many human activities. The constant sources of Cadmium
contamination are related to it's application in industry as a corrosive reagent, as well as it's use as a stabilizer in PVC products, color pigments and Ni-Cd batteries. In areas with contaminated soils, house dust is a potential route for cadmium exposure. Cadmium exposure causes pathological conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Medicinal drugs have been
administered to fight the effect on humans. Due to this, many plants have been discovered for the treatment of the disease caused by Cadmium. Turmeric is one of the medicinal plants which contains anti- oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which helps to fight against oxidative stress caused by Cadmium. It helps fight against neurodegenerative diseases. Accordingly, this research was designed to
evaluate the protective activity of the ethanolic Curcuma longa root extract on cadmium-induced hippocampal damage in adult Wistar rats. For this study period of twenty-one days, thirty adult Wistar rats were randomized into six groups(A-F) consisting of five rats each. The rats were left to acclimatize for two weeks after which their weights were taken and recorded as initial weights while feeding then
with standard rat chow and free access to water throughout the study. All administration, given orally, started with Group A serving as the control group and received 1ml of water. Group B was given 5mg/kg
body weight of Cadmium only. Groups C and D were given 100mg and 200mg/kg body weight of ethanolic Curcuma longa root extract and 5mg/kg body weight of cadmium respectively. Groups E and F
were given only 100mg and 200mg/kg body weight of ethanolic Curcuma longa root extract, respectively. At the end of the experiment, neurobehavioural activity (y-maze test) was evaluated, recorded, and the rats were then sacrificed for sample collection. Following appropriate harvesting of the hippocampus, the antioxidant activity and histological alterations were investigated. Results showed a significant decrease in the brain and body weight of rats treated with cadmium. For the Y-maze test, Curcuma longa demonstrated significant inhibition of Cadmium-induced cognitive dysfunction. Curcuma longa produced a significant decrease in MDA level and increased SOD, CAT, GPx enzymes as compared to the Cadmium treated group. The histology of rats pre-treated with ethanolic Curcuma longa root extract showed considerable retention of the normal histological morphology of the hippocampus. In conclusion, the findings of the study validated the toxicity of cadmium and provided the first research evidence of the protective activity of Curcuma longa against cadmium toxicity in adult Wistar rats.

Ficus exasperata is a deciduous, dioecious medicinal plant of the Mulberry family, which is widely employed in traditional medicine due to its therapeutic and pharmacological properties. Despite its extensive medicinal application, there are very limited research on the effects of its ethanol leaf extract on the cerebrum. This study therefore, investigates the potential effects of the ethanol leaf extract on the structure and function of the cerebrum of adult Wistar rats. Thirty-five (35) adult Wistar rats, divided into: control, low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose treatment groups. were treated with graded concentration of sand paper leaf extract (200mg, 400mg, 600mg, 800mg, 1000mg/kg body weight respectively), for a period of 30 days. Biochemical and histological analyses were then conducted to assess cerebral functions and structural changes. The result revealed administration of the ethanol leaf extract of Ficus exasperata, induced a dose-dependent increase in the body weight of Wistar rats, with higher doses producing a more significant effect. In addition, the extract exhibited minimal impact (p< 0.05) on cerebral oxidative stress markers e.g. Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione peroxidase GPX and Malondialdehyde (MDA). The extract also induced beneficial vasoactive changes including vasodilatation and increased blood circulation (active congestion), which decreased with increasing concentration of the sand paper leaf extract. The 200mg/kg body weight leaf extract had the most potent vasoactive effect, while the 1000mg/kg body weight extract had the least effect. However, the structural integrity of the neurons and neuroglia cells were sustained. Further studies are recommended to properly understand the mechanisms involved in its actions so as to ensure safe therapeutic use in humans.