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Ornamental and Medicinal Plants, 2017, 1(1): 26-48
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Article

The methanol leaf extract of Vernonia amygdalina ameliorates cardiomyopathy in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

Adegbolagun T. Adeoye1, Temitayo O. Ajibade2, Ademola A. Oyagbemi2, Temidayo O. Omobowale3, Aduragbenro D. Adedapo4, Abiodun E. Ayodele5, Momoh A. Yakubu6, Adeolu A. Adedapo1
1Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
2Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
3Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
4Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
5Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
6Department of Environmental & Interdisciplinary Sciences, College of Science, Engineering & Technology, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX, USA

Received 15 September 2017;Accepted 25 September 2017;Published 1 December 2017
IAEES

Abstract
Vernonia amygdalina is a tropical plant with a lot of interesting biological and medicinal uses. The plant is relatively not toxic, hence safe for consumption and possesses a great potential as pharmaceutical leads for the treatment of diseases. It is for this that the methanol leaf extract was evaluated for its cardioprotective effects in rats. Rats were randomly allotted to five groups of ten animals each. Group A animals were not diabetic and normal saline and served as normal control, group B animals were diabetic rats that received alloxan alone, group C animals were diabetic rats but received glibenclamide at 4mg/kg. Groups D and E were also diabetic animals that received the methanol leaf extract of Vernonia amygdalina (MLVA) at 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg respectively. All treatments were done daily via the oral route and lasted for 28 days. Administration of alloxan caused a significant increase in the blood pressure parameters of diabetic control rats when compared with the normal control. Treatment with glibenclamide brought about a reduction in the blood pressure of treated diabetic rats when compared with the normal control. MLVA treated diabetic groups showed a significant lowering of all blood pressure parameters. Oxidative stress markers such as Myeloperoxidase (MPO), nitric oxide content (NO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) all experienced significant increase in their levels in group B animals but corresponding decrease for extract-treated and glibenclamide-treated groups. The activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GST and GPx) measured in this study showed significant reduction in the diabetic control group when compared to the normal control but following treatment with MLVA there were significant (¦Á<0.05) increase in their levels when compared with the diabetic control. The extract also appeared to result in a higher though not significant increase in SOD and GPx activities when compared with the glibenclamide treated group. Histopathologically, rats in control group show no visible lesions but diabetic rats in group B showed myocardial infarction. Treatment with glibenclamide showed no visible lesions but diabetic rats treated with MLVA at 200mg/kg showed focal area of lymphoid aggregate while those treated with MLVA at 400mg/kg showed a mild disseminated haemorrhagic lesion. Diabetic rats also showed higher expression of CRP and IL-1B in their cardiac tissues but down regulation of this protein in the cardiac tissues of extract- and glibenclamide-treated rats.

Keywords Vernonia amygdalina;cardiomyopathy;diabetes;anti-oxidants;immunohistochemistry;histopathology.


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