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GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE ACTIVITY IN ALBINO RATS TREATED WITH AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF FRESH LEAVES OF MORINDA LUCIDA.
Authors: 1Agbafor, K. N., 2Nwaka, Andrew C., 3Dasofunjo, K., 3Asuk, A. A. and 3Ugwu, M. N.
Number of views: 579
In Eastern Nigeria, different parts of Morinda lucida have been successfully used by
traditional medicine practitioners in management and treatment of several diseases such as
malaria, typhoid fever, dysentery and diabetes. The present research was carried out to
investigate the effect of aqueous extract of fresh leaves of Morinda lucida on serum activity
of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in adult male albino rats. A total of twenty five
adult male albino rats, used in this research, were distributed into five groups, A, B, C, D
and E. Groups B, C, D and E were administered 200,400,600 and 800 mg/kg body weight of
the extract respectively for seven consecutive days. Group A (the control) was given
distilled water only. There was a decrease in physical activities, rates of feed and water
intake and body weights of the animals in the treated groups, while the control group did
not show any significant change. The activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
recorded in the serum of the tests groups was significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of the
control. The concentration of total protein of the treated groups did not differ significantly
(P>0.05) from the control. These effects were observed to be dose-dependent. The findings
of this research indicate that fresh leaves of aqueous extract of Morinda lucida possess
chemical compounds which can inhibit the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.
This decrease in the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase may be partly
responsible for the use of the plant leaves in the treatment and management of malaria.