Adejo GO, Atawodi SE, Ameh DA and Ibrahim S
The methanol extracts of all the various parts of Morinda lucida were studied in vivo for anti-peroxidative, protective and ameliorative effects against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatocellular injury. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentration taken as a measure of lipid peroxidation showed pre-treatment with the parts each (100 mg/kg) conferring anti-peroxidative effect while the leaf and bark extracts showed anti-peroxidative effect in the post-treatment test. Markers of hepatic damage viz: AST, ALT, total and conjugated bilirubin also showed significant protection and amelioration against CCl4-induced liver damage. Lipid profile studies like TG, TC, LDL and HDL showed no statistical difference among the pre-treatment groups and the ‘normal control’ except in the ‘Root+CCl4’ or ‘Leaf+CCl4’ groups which also showed no difference statistically from the ‘CCl4 only’ group. In the post-treatment (ameliorative) tests also, no statistical difference was found among the groups compared with the ‘normal control’ except the ‘CCl4 + Root’ and ‘CCl4 + Leaf’ groups which bore no statistical difference from the ‘CCl4 only’ group, as per LDL and HDL respectively. Findings here show the anti-peroxidative and protective properties of Morinda lucida comparable to Vitamins C and E, and ameliorative properties comparable to Silymarin against liver injury. These could possibly be reasons supporting its application in folkloric medicine.