PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF BETA VULGARIS ON CARBON TETRACHLORIDE INDUCED HEPATOTOXICITY IN ADULT WISTAR RAT

Beta vulgaris also known as beet root has been used to treat a wide range of symptoms and diseases, such as fever, constipation, cancer, diabetes, liver and heart diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective ability of beta vulgaris on the liver following Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) intoxication. Twenty five adult albino wistar weighing between 150g and 200g were used in this study. The animals were divided into five groups A, B, C, D, and E. Groups A and B served as control were injected with paraffin oil for two consecutive days and group B fed with Beta vulgaris extract alone. Groups C and D were injected with CCl4 (1.0ml/kg b.w i.p) for two consecutive days and group D fed with BE throughout the experimental days. Group E was fed with Beta vulgaris extract throughout the experiment and injected CCl4 on the last two days of the experimental period (28 days). At the end of the experimental period animals were reweighed and sacrificed using chloroform vapour. Blood was collected for serum enzyme analysis and liver was harvested and trimmed for histological studies. The result showed that, there was a decrease in mean body weight of 5% in group C animals while there was an increase in other groups. The liver weight were significantly higher in group C (p<0.05) when compared with control groups and other experimental groups. The levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in group C were significantly higher (p<0.05) when compared with the control group while groups B, D and E were normal. Histological examination of liver (H&E) showed numerous fatty changes, distortion of hepatocytes, focal necrosis, loss of nuclei and cytoplasmic shrinkage in group C animals, groups A, B and E appear normal, while group D showed mild focal inflammation and areas of regeneration of tissues. These results shows that Beta vulgaris extract has the ability to prevent and also restore histological and biochemical changes in the liver following CCl4 injection.