Abstract

About 80% of the population in many third world countries still use traditional medicine (medicinal plants) as the sole means of therapy against diseases. Carica papaya is a medicinal plant which has been proven to contain substances that can be used for such purposes. Some of its uses include anti-ulcerogenic, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, anti-tumour and it is employed in wound-healing activity and antifertility activity to mention a few. This study was designed to evaluate the chronic hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic effects of orally administered aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Carica papaya seed in adult Wistar rat. The up-and-down method as outlined in the OECD guidelines was used to determine the LD50. Twenty five adult Wistar rats weighing between 160-220 gm were used for the study. They were randomised and five assigned to each of the treatment groups. Group one was the control, group two and three received 100 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg body weight of aqueous extract respectively while groups four and five received 100 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg body weight of ethanolic extract respectively. They were all dosed orally for 60 days. The results of the haematological indices, renal function test and liver function test for both extracts were normal and so also were the organ body weight ratios. The histological studies of the liver, kidneys and spleen did not reveal any pathologic changes when compared to the control group. In Conclusion it can be said that aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Carica papaya seed extract is not hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic to adult Wistar rats.

Keywords:

Carica papaya, chronic, histological studies, kidney, liver and spleen,

References

Competing interests

The authors have no competing interests.

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The authors have no competing interests.