Assessment of the Effects of Some Herbal Supplements on Some Inflammatory and Hepatic Markers of Cyanide– Induced Hyperthyroid Female Albino Rats

Aim: To assess the effects of some herbal supplements on some inflammatory and hepatic markers of cyanide – induced hyperthyroid female Albino Rats.

Study Design: Experimental study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Animal and Environmental Sciences, Rivers State University, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and Department of Pharmacology, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, between July and September, 2020.

Methodology: 150 female albino rats were used for this study. The rats were divided into ten groups of fifteen rats each: group A-negative control, group B-positive control, group C- orthodox drug (propranolol), group D-herbal supplement (motherwort), group E-bugleweed, group F-Garcinia kola, group G-propranolol and bugleweed, group H-propranolol and motherwort, group I-propranolol and Garcinia kola, and group J-bugleweed and motherwort. Hyperthyroidism was induced in groups B to J by the oral administration of 2.4 mg/kg of potassium hexacyanoferrate III salt and given every two days to sustain the induction. The rats were treated with the drug, supplements and seed extract for 14, 30 and 60 days. On the 15th, 31st, and 61th days after overnight fast, the rats were anesthetized with chloroform and sacrificed through cardiac puncture. 5ml of blood samples was put into plain bottles for the analysis of inflammatory and hepatic markers. Laboratory estimations of C reactive protein and tissue necrosis factor alpha were analyzed using the ELISA technique, while liver enzymes were analyzed using spectrophotometric method. GraphPad Prism 5.6. was used to analyze the data and mean values were considered statistically significant at P< .05.

Results: The results showed that the levels of C- reactive protein (p<.01), Tumor neurosis factor –alpha (p<.01) were significantly lower in the treated rats compared to the positive control group. The activities of the liver enzymes, AST (p<.01), ALT (p<.01) and ALP (p<.01) were significantly reduced indicating a decrease in the impairment associated with the chemical alteration of the follicular cells, inflammation and non- toxicity of the herbal supplements and extract at therapeutic doses.

Conclusion: The herbal supplements and extract have the ability to reduce the inflammatory effect of hyperthyroidism, therefore, further studies are recommended.