Antioxidative Stress And Hepatoprotective Activities Of Leaf Extract And Fractions OF Saccharum officinarum in Plasmodium berghei Infected Mice

Biological activity of sugarcane leaves

Abstract

Saccharum officinarum (Family-Poaceae) is used in Ibibio ethnomedicine for the treatment of various diseases such as malaria. The leaf extract and fractions of S. officinarum were investigated for antioxidative stress and hepatoprotective activities in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice using early infection test model. Antioxidative stress and hepatoprotective potentials were assessed by determining oxidative stress markers levels, liver function indices and histopathology of liver.  The leaf extract (170-510 mg/kg, p.o.)  exerted significant (p<0.05) antimalarial activity against P. berghei infection in suppressive tests with n-hexane and butanol fractions having the highest activity. The leaf extract and fractions also caused significant (p<0.05) increases in the levels of oxidative stress markers enzymes and molecules (CAT, GPx, GST)with no significant (p>0.05) effect on GSH, SOD and MDA levels in the liver of the treated infected mice. The extract/fractions treatment caused  significant (p<0.05) reductions in liver enzymes (ALT, AST and ALP), total and conjugated bilirubin of the treated infected mice. Histology of liver revealed absence or significant reductions in pathological features in the treated infected mice compared to untreated infected mice. These results suggest that the leaf extract/fractions of S. officinarum possess antioxidative stress and hepatoprotective potentials  which gives credence to its use in the  treatment of malaria.