Ameliorative Effects of Turmeric Extract against CCL4 Induced Liver and Kidney Injury in Adult Wistar Rat

Objectives: To examine and ascertain the toxic effects of CCL4 on the histology of the liver and kidney and to investigate the ameliorative of turmeric against his injury.

Materials: Thirty (30) male adult Wistar rats weighing 150 ± 2.6 g - 317 ± 3.5 g were procured from the animal house of the Department of Pharmacology, College of Health Sciences Niger Delta University, Bayelsa state. Nigeria, assigned into five (5) major groups with five (5) animals in each group after the period of acclimatization: a control group "A" and three test groups (C, D and E) except group B with ten (10) rats. Animals in Group A (Control): received pelleted growers mash (feed) and water .Group B (Positive Control): Received CCl4 only (0.5 mL/100 g). Group C: received CCL4 (0.5 mL/100 g) and turmeric extract 200 mg/kg. Group D: Received 200 mg/kg of turmeric extract and then treated with CCL4 (0.5 ml/100 g ) Group E: Received 200 mg/kg of turmeric extract only, at the end of the treatment, the liver and the kidney of each sacrificed rat were processed for paraffin sectioning and stained with Harris hematoxylin and eosin.

Result: Photomicrograph of Groups B, C and D show moderate inflammatory cells and fat infiltration which are features of hepatic injury but the result further shows that there were no noticeable histopathological changes observed in the histology of the kidney of all animal groups as compared with the control group.

Conclusion: The study demonstrates that turmeric extract has no ameliorative effect against CCl4-induced liver damage in rats.