Prolong Administration of Methanolic Whole Fruit Extract of Lagenaria breviflora (Benth.) Roberty Provoke Oxidative Stress and Kidney Dysfunction in Male Wistar Rats

Kidney diseases contributed to the worldwide burden of human diseases, with approximately more than ¾ million deaths annually. The exact reason (s) for the high prevalence of kidney and urinary tract diseases are unknown. The effects of 1 mL of methanolic fruit extract of L. breviflora administered orally, at 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg/body weight once daily for fourteen and twenty-eight days respectively on serum and tissue antioxidants status, electrolytes and the activities of some ‘marker’ enzymes of kidney toxicity in Wister rats was investigated. The control group received 0.9% physiology saline. Using established protocols, the results showed that the extract negatively altered (p<0.05) the electrolyte balance, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transferase, Lactate dehydrogenase, antioxidant enzymes activities, glutathione and malondialdehyde status in dose and duration dependent manners when compared with the untreated group. Histological evidence revealed mild tubular and glomerular damage. Although, no significant change was observed in the kidney body weight ratio in all the extract treated groups, our results, suggest that extract of L. breviflora may be nephrotoxic at high dosage over a prolonged period.