CLINICAL CHEMISTRY CHANGES AS REFLECTION OF ORGAN TOXICITY IN WISTAR ALBINO RATS ADMINISTERED VISCUM ALBUM FROM COCOA, KOLA AND COFFEE

Plants which were once a chief source of remedy still continue to provide therapy to a huge majority of humans. Toxicity studies aside providing insight into the lethal dose of these agents provide vital information on the border-line toxicity. Organ damage in laboratory animal models is suggestive of and a pointer to the likely harm of the agents. The present study was designed to assess the clinical chemistry changes associated with per os administration of aqueous extracts of the leaves of the mistletoe in Wistar albino rats. Wistar albino rats were acclimatized and randomly allotted into 5 groups (A-E) of 5 animals each for kola, cocoa and coffee, and were treated as follows. Group A served as a general control and it received 1 ml of distilled water as vehicle. Groups B-E received step-wise increasing doses 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 mg/kg body weight of Viscum album from kola, cocoa, and coffee extract respectively for a period of 14-days. On the 15th day, the experiment was terminated and blood samples collected from retro-orbital puncture were used in clinical chemistry assay following established standard methods. Statistically significant (P<0.05) increase in AST and Albumin (ALB) were observed in the rats administered Viscum album from kola. Step-wise significant increased ALB was observed in the group that received Viscum album from cocoa. Also statistically significant increase in Total and Direct Bilirubin was observed in rats administered extract from coffee at 1600mg and 3200mg. Results of the study suggest that the extracts could impair liver (especially from cocoa) and kidney functions at the dose administered. Therefore, the plant extracts should be administered with caution.