Effect of Aqueous Extract of Ocimum gratisimum (Scent Leaf) On Hepatic Profile of Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

Ocimum gratissimum (O. gratissimum) is an herbaceous plant commonly found in tropical Asia and in the coastal areas of Nigeria, where it is used for the treatment of ailments such as diarrhea, urinary infections, fever, and dysentery. This study thus evaluated the effect of oral administration of O. gratissimum on the hepatic profile of male Wistar rats. Ten (10) healthy rats weighing between 140-160 g were randomly distributed into control and test groups comprising 5 animals each. After acclimatization for two weeks, the test group was administered with 400mg/Kg crude extract of O. gratissimum for two weeks. The animals were euthanized through cervical dislocation at the end of the experiment and blood sample was collected via heart puncture into plain bottles for serum biochemical hepatic profile assay while the liver was excised for histological examination. The serum liver enzymes activities, bilirubin, albumin, and total protein were assayed colorimetrically while the histological examination followed the hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E) of the liver tissue. The results of the liver enzyme activities, total protein, total and direct bilirubin levels showed a significant at p < 0.05 increase in the test group when compared with the controls while the observed increase in serum albumin level of the test group was not statistically significant at p > 0.05 compared to the controls. The histological analysis also revealed a mild lymphocytic infiltration of the liver tissue in the test group compared to controls. The observed alteration in the hepatic profile is suggestive that the toxicological effect of plant is dose dependent