Journal of Biology and Medicine: Open Access

Abstract 

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of total saponins and tannins isolated from the stem bark of Dialium guineense on lipid profile and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced histological changes in liver of Wistar rats. A total of twenty-five (25) adult male Wistar rats, which weighed between 160 and 180 g were assigned to five groups of 5 rats each: normal control, CCl4 control, silymarin, total saponins and total tannins groups. Liver damage was induced in the rats using CCl4 (single oral dose of 1.0 mL/kg body weight, bwt). Silymarin group rats were administered standard hepatoprotective drug, silymarin, at a dose of 100 mg/kg bwt, while those in the two treatment groups received 150 mg/kg bwt of total saponins or tannins orally for 28 days. Lipid profile parameters were determined in plasma, while rat liver was subjected to histopathological examination. The results showed that the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), very-low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as well as atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) were significantly lower in CCl4 control group than in normal control group, but they were increased after treatment with total saponins or tannins (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in atherogenic coefficient (AC) and cardiac risk ratio (CRR) among the groups (p > 0.05). Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) markedly disrupted the structure of hepatocytes and induced steatosis (intrahepatocyte fat in-growth and inflammation). However, treatment with total saponins and tannins of D. guineense stem bark showed marked regeneration of hepatocytes (unremarkable hepatic lobular architecture). The toxic hepatic injury induced by CCl4 was significantly ameliorated by the phytochemicals. 

Keywords: Cholesterol; Dialium guineense; Lipid profile; Lipid profile; Tannins; Tissue histology