Abstract

Sodipo AO, Abdulrahman FI, Sandabe UK and Wampana B

Studies were conducted on the effect of 50mg/kg each of the aqueous fruit extract of Solanum macrocarpum, α-solanidine, (a steroidal glycoalkaloid found in the Solanaceae), three antihyperlipidaemic drugs nicotinic acid, simvastatin and cholestyramine) on forty two (42) rats made hyperlipidaemic by treating them with 400 mg/kg triton-X for 7 days. The rats were divided into 7 groups of 6 rats each. At 24h, 48h and 72h respectively, the rats in each group were humanely sacrificed and blood samples collected for biochemical liver analysis. The liver function analyzed were total protein, albumin, total bilirubin and liver enzymes (ALP, ALT, and AST). The extract, α-solanidine and the three hypolipidaemic drugs all significantly increased (P0.05) in albumin for the five substances tested. Bilirubin levels however decreased significantly (P<0.05) at 72h for both extract and cholestyramine and were lower than the values recorded for α-solanidine, simvastatin and nicotinic acid. The AST, ALT and ALP decreased significantly (P<0.05) at 72h for both the extract and cholestyramine while high levels of these serum enzymes were recorded for α-solanidine, nicotinic acid and simvastatin. The aqueous fruit extract of S. macrocarpum and cholestyramine probably had hepatoprotective effects on triton-induced hyperlipipidaemic rats when compared to α-solanidine, nicotinic acid and simvastatin under the condition of study.