The Effect of Ethanolic Extract of Myrmecodia pendans on Gentamicin Induced Nephrotoxicity in Wistar Rats

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the nephroprotective effect of the Myrmecodia pendans extract on Wistar rats. The nephrotoxicity of the animals was induced through intra-peritoneal administration of 100mg/kg/day of gentamicin for ten days. The effect of M. pendans extract at a dose of 250mg/kg/day was concurrently monitored in some rats by assessing their serum creatinine levels, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and the histopathological parameters. The mean of serum creatinine in control group was 1.17±0.18mg/dl and in nephrotoxic group it was 2.22±0.29 mg/dl, while in group given the extract were 1.38±0.19 and 1.27±0.15mg/dl, respectively. In that group also sequentially showed BUN levels of 24.27±2.6, 108.13±11.58, 30.70±4.23 and 27.28±2.84mg/dl, respectively. Nephrotoxicity was induced in the animals injected with gentamicin, which showed a significant (P<0.05) increase in creatinine and BUN compared with control group. The results also showed that the M. pendans ethanolic extracts significantly (P<0.05) prevented the increase in the levels of serum creatinine, BUN and reduced renal histopathological damage such as hydropic degeneration, vascular congestion and tubular necrosis. Therefore, the ethanolic extract of M. pendans exhibits a nephroprotective activity.