Assessment of Lead and Cadmium Concentration in Liver and Kidney of Sprague Dawley Rats Exposed to Cultured Vernonia amygdalina Leaves

Lead and cadmium are among the heavy metals whose presence is feared because of their toxicity. They enter the food chain by consuming plants harvested from contaminated sites. In this study, we subjected Sprague Dwaley rats to a 14-day chronic exposure to extracts of Vernonia amygdalina leaves contaminated with different concentrations of lead and cadmium solutions. The rats were sacrificed and the liver and kidneys organs were removed. All the samples were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results showed that the concentrations contained in the administered extracts are 0.26ppm; 3.662ppm; 4.878ppm; 5.47ppm for lead on the one hand and 0.046ppm; 1.773ppm; 6.26ppm; 30.55ppm for cadmium on the other hand. Rats in the control lot received distilled water. The different bioaccumulated concentrations in the kidneys are in the order of 0.02ppm; 0.06ppm; 0.17ppm; 0.28ppm; 0.59ppm for lead and 0.06ppm; 0.06ppm; 0.51ppm; 0.64ppm; 0.78ppm for cadmium. In the liver the following concentrations were accumulated 0.02ppm; 0.06ppm; 0.22ppm; 0.24ppm; 0.42ppm for lead and 0.04ppm; 0.10ppm; 0.15ppm; 0.35ppm; 0.45ppm for cadmium. Considering a longer exposure period, the bioaccumulated concentrations will be higher because circulating concentrations have not been measured. The bioaccumulative nature of these metals in the liver and kidney is important in assessing the risks associated with the consumption of products contaminated with lead and cadmium.