The effects of ethanol extract of Mucuna pruriens leaves on aspartateaminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase inalbino rats

All parts of Mucuna pruriens has been known to possess valuable medicinal properties. This calls for the need to ascertain the effect of some of this plant extracts on some liver function indices in animal models to provide valuable information on the safety/toxicity of the consumption of the crude extracts. The effect of ethanol extract of Mucuna pruriens leaves on aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities in albino rats were evaluated using spectrophotometric method. Sixteen albino rats were grouped into four (A, B, C and D) containing four rats each. Ethanol extract of Mucuna pruriens was administered through oral intubation to the animals in groups A, B, C and D at the doses of 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, 600 mg/kg and 0 mg/kg of body weights respectively for fourteen days. Blood samples were collected through the eye vein on the 15th to the last day of administration. The aspartate aminotransferase activities (μ /l) recorded 34.67±2.52, 18.67±0.58, 31.67±1.53 and 23.33±2.31, for the animal in group A, B, C and D respectively. The alanine also recorded for group A, B, C and D respectively with correspondin activities of alkaline phosphatase as A, B, C and D. Alanine aminotransferase activities (μ/l) recorded 26.00±1.00, 40.00±1.00, 55.33±0.58 and 66.67±0.58. Subsequently, alkaline phosphate activities (μ/l) recorded 28.52±11.15, 39.56±15.20, 12.88±4.22 and 29.44±4.22 for animals in groups A, B, C and D. The ethanol extract of Mucuna pruriens exerted an insignificant dose-dependent decrease in AST, ALT, and ALP activities at all the specified doses.