Uchendu IK¹*, Nnedu EB², Orji OC¹, Agu CE³, Chukwu IJ¹, Okafor AC¹, Uchenna CA⁴ and Okongwu UC⁴

¹Division of Clinical Chemistry, Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Nigeria.
²Division of Immunology, Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Nigeria.
³Prime Health Response Initiative (PHRI), Kwara State, Nigeria.
⁴Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding Author: Ikenna Kingsley Uchendu, Division of Clinical Chemistry, Department of Medical Laboratory Science, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Nigeria. Email: ikenna.uchendu@unn.edu.ng.

Received: February 18, 2018; Published: March 21, 2018

Citation: Uchendu IK., et al. “Combined Effects of Vitamin C and Tomato Extract (Lycopersicon esculentum) on Function and Histological Structure of Liver in Male Albino Rats Treated with Carbimazole”. Acta Scientific Pharmaceutical Sciences 2.4 (2018).

Abstract

  Drugs have been implicated as the cause of most liver injuries. Carbimazole administration, in excess, is associated with various pathological conditions, which includes hepatocellular damage. Generation of oxidative stress is one of the plausible mechanisms of carbimazole-induced organ damage. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of carbimazole on liver function in male albino rats, as well as assess the ameliorative role of the combination of Vitamin C and tomato extracts treatments. Phytochemical tests were performed. A total of 25 male albino rats weighing 200 - 250g were randomly divided into five groups (A-E), with five rats in each group. Group A served as normal control and received no treatment. Group B served as the negative control and received only carbimazole (60 mg/kg, oral). Groups C, D and E served as the treatment groups. They all received carbimazole, and then Vitamin C only (200 mg/kg, oral), tomato extract only (30 mg/kg, oral), and vitamin C plus tomato extract respectively for 3 weeks. Carbimazole (60 mg/kg, oral) administration for 3 weeks resulted in liver injury in the rats with increase in AST, ALT and ALP levels: 67.33 ± 12.71 U/L, 56.68 ± 11.22 U/L and 316.00 ± 58.81 U/L respectively. However, with the administration of vitamin C and/or tomato fruit extracts, these values were reduced thus, respectively: vitamin C only: 24.33 ± 4.33 U/L, 20.67 ± 2.73 U/L, 131.70 ± 7.27 U/L (**ρ < 0.01); tomato fruit extract only: 24.67 ± 4.37 U/L, 21.00 ± 2.08 U/L, 156.30 ± 9.84 U/L (**ρ < 0.01); vitamin C plus tomato fruit extract: 24.00 ± 2.31 U/L, 20.00 ± 2.31 U/L and 125.00 ± 8.34 U/L (**ρ < 0.01). Histopathological results concomitantly revealed mild or no significant degeneration in the livers of vitamin C and/or tomato extract-treated rats when compared to the normal control rats. This showed that vitamin C and tomato fruit extract possess hepatoprotective properties against the hepatotoxic effect of carbimazole; their hepatoprotective effect is greatest when combined.

Keywords: Ethnopharmacology; Hepatoprotection; Liver Injury; Tomato Extracts; Vitamin C; Carbimazole

Copyright: © 2018 Uchendu IK., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.