Abstract

A. O. Oluduro1* and B. I. Aderiye2

The effect of various doses of aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera seed on the activities of some internal organs (heart, liver and kidney) and tissue enzymes of male albino rats was investigated. The safe level of the seed extract that would not cause an infarction in the liver of albino rat was less than 2 mg /ml concentration. Daily-dose administration of the Moringa seed treated water (1 – 10 mg/ml) to different rat groups for 21 days resulted in significant increase (P > 0.05) in the activities of the following enzymes; aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (162 U/ml), alanine transferase ( ALT) (65.32 U/ml), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (303 U/ml), acid phosphatase (ACP )(499 U/ml ) in the serum of the experimental rats compared to a corresponding decreased enzyme activity (AST-131.87 U/ml ), (ALT26.3I U/ml ), (ALP-178 U/ml ), ( ACP-68.48 U/ml ) in the liver tissue. Histopathological studies revealed the presence of marked aggregation of bile canaliculi around the portal vein of the liver.