Atherosclerosis has been regarded as one of the leading causes of death in modern-day man worldwide. The use of medicinal plants especially Andrographis paniculata in the treatment of chronic diseases, particularly atherosclerotic disorder is becoming popular. This study aimed to evaluate the possible ameliorative and preventive effect of leaf extract of Andrographis paniculata on atherosclerosis in isoproterenol-induced Wistar rats. Thirty animals were randomly divided into five groups (A-E) of six animals per group, per cage. Groups A, B and C served as the treatment groups and were orally pre-treated with 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight extract of A. paniculata for fourteen days, group D served as the positive control group and was administered 10 mg atorvastatin while group E served as the negative control and was administered distilled water. On the fifteenth and sixteenth day, 150 mg/kg isoproterenol was administered intraperitoneal at 24 h intervals to all the animals and were subsequently sacrificed. The sera obtained were used for a bioassay study. Analysis of serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) were carried out using standard methods. The result obtained revealed a significant decrease (p>0.05) in the serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL in the extract treated groups in a dose dependent manner when compared with the untreated control while there was a significant increase in the serum HDL level of extract treated group compared to the untreated control; thereby supporting the protective effect of A. paniculata against atherosclerotic disorder.
Catfish is a traditional part of the diet of a large section of the world’s population. This study compared the effect of smoked and oven-dried catfish on hematological parameters, liver and antioxidant enzymes of wistar rats. Catfish samples were processed by smoking and oven-drying and used for formulation of the experimental feeds. Twenty one wistar rats were acclimatized for seven (7) days, weighed and allotted into three dietary treatments; control (standard feed), smoked and oven-dried fed groups. The study was conducted for a period of 21 days. Haematological analysis was carried out using haematology auto-analyzer. Liver enzymes (Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT)) were assayed using standard assay kits while antioxidant enzymes were assayed using spectrophotometric method. The result revealed a significant increase (P<0.05) in the body weights of rats maintained on experimental feeds; oven-dried catfish fed group (240.83±6.13g), smoked catfish fed group (246.83±4.97g). There were no significant difference (P>0.05) in the haematological parameters of the treatment groups except in their total red blood cell counts, mean cell volume and mean cell hemoglobin. A non-significant difference (p>0.05) was observed in the antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) of the test groups, indicating the absence of oxidative stress. The results of this research showed that both drying methods (oven and smoke drying) did not affect the palatability of the diets as the experimental diets were accepted by the experimental animals and their weight significantly improved. However, both diets have deleterious effects on the blood; hence, individuals with severe cases of anaemia and other blood disorders are encouraged to avoid them.
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