Author(s):

Collins N Ejiofor, Ikechukwu E Ezeagu, Moses Ayoola and Peter U Achukkwu

Abstract: Persea Americana (avocado) is widely grown in parts of South East, Nigeria, where it is used as a medicinal plant in the treatment of several ailments by alternative medical practitioners. This study was on the pharmacology of its seed in diabetes treatment. The study therefore suggested the histopathologic effects of P. americana seed extracts on the liver and kidney of alloxan-induced diabetic albino rats. One hundred gram (100g) of the sample was extracted with 1L of water using the maceration method. The rats were induced with diabetes by intraperitonal (IP) injection of 150mg/kg body weight of alloxan monohydrate solution and treated with different doses of the extract (200 and300 mg/kg.b.wt.) and insulin for 21 days. On Day 21 of the treatment regime, the animals were sacrificed and the necessary organs (liver and kidney) were harvested. The harvested organs were processed according to paraffin wax embedding technique, sectioned at 5μmand stained by the haematoxylin and eosin for light microscopy. Results obtained in alloxan-treated rats showed evidence of necrosis, vasculation and infiltration of the hepatocytes by inflammatory cells. In the kidney, there was mild infiltration by inflammatory cells in alloxan- treated rats. However, treatment of the alloxan- treated rats with extracts of P. Americana restored the histoarchitecture of both the damaged liver and kidney to normal as the control rats suggesting that P. Americana extracts reversed the histopathological damage that occurred in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. It is concluded this study seems to provides a pharmacological basis for the traditional use of P. americana seeds extracts in the management of Diabetes mellitus and raises the possibility of its potential clinical usefulness.

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