FUW TRENDS IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(A Peer Review Journal)
e–ISSN: 2408–5162; p–ISSN: 2048–5170
keywords: Genotoxicity; sperm head abnormality assay; Bitter Leaf, Vernonia amygdalina
Vernonia amygdalina is a very important medicinal plant that is extensively used in Nigeria for treating various illnesses. Despite this, there is a need to assess this plant for genotoxicity potential. The present study was carried out to determine the genotoxicity and reproductive effects of V. amygdalina aqueous extract in albino rats using sperm head abnormality assay. Three groups consisting of eight male albino rats per group were used. The first group (control) was treated with distilled water for forty-two days while the second and third groups received 1000 mg/kg body weight (b. wt.) and 10,000 mg/kg b. wt. of V. amygdalina leaf extracts respectively, for the same period. Administration of the extract to the animals was by oral gavage. The mean sperm count (cell/mm3) result for control group was: 23500 ± 4200 while V. amygdalina 1000 mg/kg b.wt. treated rats gave: 16500 ± 2300 and V. amygdalina 10000 mg/kg b.wt gave: 17800 ± 1600. The frequencies of abnormality recorded between the control and V. amygdalina treated rats gave a P-value of 0.748. Analysis of variance between the two types of sperm head morphology recorded gave a P-value of 0.077. These P-values indicate that V. amygdalina had no statistically significant effect on sperm morphology and sperm count at 5% level of significance (P >0.05). Therefore, V. amygdalina is relatively safe for consumption, although it does not appear to enhance male reproductive capacity in the rats.
Adikwu MU, Uzuegbu DB, Okoye TC, Uzor PF, Adibe MO & Amadi BV 2010. Antidiabetic effect of combined aqueous Leaf extract of Vernonia amygdalina and Metformin in rats. J. Basic Clini. Pharm. 1(3): 197 202. Agbede JO, Adegbenro M, Aletorb O & Mohammed A 2007. Evaluation of the nutrition value of Vernonia amygdalina leaf protein concentrates for infant weaning foods. Acta Alimentaria. 36: 387 – 393. Atangwho IJ, Ebong PE, Eyong EU & Eteng MU 2010. Combined administration of extracts of Vernonia amygdalina (Del) and Azadirachta indica (A. Juss) mimic insulin in time-course body weight and glucose regulation in diabetic and non diabetic rats. Nig. J. Biochem. Mol. Biol., 25(1): 44 – 49. Akinpelu DA 1999. Antimicrobial activity of Vernonia amygdalina leaves. Fitoterapia, 70: 432 – 434. Camparoto ML, Teixeira R, Mantovani MS& Vicentini VEP 2002. Effect of Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. and Bauhinia candican Benth infusions on onion root-tip and bone marrow cells. Gen. Mol. Bio., 25(1): 1415 – 4757. Hakizamungu E, Puyvelde LV & Wery M 1992. Screening of Rwandese medicinal plants for antitrichomonas activity. J. Ethnopharmacol., 36: 143 – 146. Horikawa K, Mohri T, Tanaka Y & Tokiwa H 1994. Moderate inhibition of mutagenicity and carcinogenicity of benzo[a]pyrene, 1,6-dinitropyrene and 3,9-dinitrofluoranthene by Chinese medicinal herbs. Mutagenesis, 9(6): 523 – 526. Igile GO, Olezek W, Jurzysata M, Burdas S, Fafunso M & Fasanmade AA 1994. Flavonoids from Vernonia amygdalina and their antioxidant activities. J. Agri. & Food Chem., 42(11): 2445 – 2448. International conference on harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) Guideline for Industries. S2B Genotoxicity: A standard of Battery for Gqnotoxicity Testing of Pharmaceuticals, July, 1997. Madureira MC, Martins AP, Gomes M, Paiva J, Cunha AP & Rosario VD 2002. Antimalarial activity of medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in S. Tome and Principe Islands. J. Ethnopharmacol., 81: 23 – 29. Masaba SC 2000. The antimalarial activity of Vernonia amygdalina Del (Compositae). Trans. Roy. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg., 94: 694 – 695. Miyazawa M & Hisama M 2003. Antimutagenic activity of flavonoids from Chrysanthemum morifolium. Biosci. Biotech. Biochem., 67(10): 2091 – 2099. Okabe MI & Ashkenas J 1998. Male infertility and the genetics of spermatogenesis. Am. J. Hum. Genet., 62(6): 1274 – 1281. Odeigah PGC 1996. Sperm head abnormalities and dominant lethal effects of formaldehyde in albino rats. Mut. Res., 389: 141 – 148. Oyeyemi MO, Oluwatoyin O, Ajala Leigh OO, Adesiji T & Fisayo 2008. The spermiogram of male wistar rats treated with aqueous leaf extract of Vernonia amygdalina. Folia Veterinaria. 52: 98–101. Padmalatha Rai SI & Vijayalaxmi KK 2001. Tamoxifen citrate induced sperm shape abnormalities in the in vivo mouse. Mutat. Res., 492(1-2): 1 – 6. Simoȇs CMO, Schenkel, EP, Gossmann, MS & Vicentini, VEP 2003. Assessment of two medicinal plants Psidium guajava L. and Archillea millefolium L., in vitro and in vivo assays. Gen Mol. Bio., 26(1): 551 – 555. Taiwo IA, Odeigah PGC & Ogunkanmi LA 2009. The glycaemic effects of Vernonia amygdalina and Vernonia tenoreana with tolbutamide in rats and the implications for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. J. Scientific Res. & Dev. 11: 122-130. Tona L, Cimanga RK, Mesia V, Musuamba CT, Bruyne TD, Apers S, Hernans N, Miert SV, Pieters L, Totte J & Vlietinck AJ 2004. In vitro antiplasmodial activity of extracts and fractions from seven medicinal plants used in the democratic republic of Congo. J. Ethnopharmacol., 93: 27-32. Topham JC 1980. Chemically induced transmissible abnormalities in sperm-head shape. Mut. Res., 70: 109 – 114. Vicentini VEP, Camparoto ML, Teixeira RO & Mantovani MS 2001. Averrhea carambola L., Syzgium cianini L. Skeels and Cissus sicoydes L., Medicinal herbal tea effects on vegetal and animal test systems. Acta Scientiarum, 23(1): 593 – 598. Yeap SK, Ho WY, Beh BK, Liang WS, Ky H, Yousr AN & Alitheen BN 2010. Vernonia amygdalina, an ethnoveterinary and ethnomedical used green vegetable with multiple bioactivities. J. Med. P. Res., 4(25): 2787 – 2812. Zeng Y, Du J, Xiaoying P, Yang X, Yang T, Yang S & Xiaomeng Y 2015. Coevolution between cancer activities and food structure of human being from southwest China. BioMed Res. Int., 10: 11–55
