Evaluation of Calabash Chalk Effects on Selected Enzymes and Histology of Rat Liver and Kidney
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53704/fujnas.v5i1.48Abstract
Consumption of geophagic material (Calabash chalk or Nzu) as a remedy for morning sickness is a common practice among pregnant women in Eastern part of Nigeria with attendant possible health implication. This study is designed to evaluate the effects of calabash chalk on some enzymes and histopathology of rat liver and kidney. Thirty-five albino rats were randomly divided into seven groups of 5 rats each. Group A received 10 ml/kg body weight of distilled water, groups B, D and F received 150, 250 and 500 mg/kg b.w of unprocessed calabash chalk respectively, while groups C, E and G were administered 150, 250 and 500 mg/kg b.w of processed calabash chalk respectively. Treatments were administered orally for 28 days. On 29th day, all animals were sacrificed; assays of AST, ALT, GGT and ALP were carried out, followed by liver and kidney histology. Significant increase in activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was observed in the serum, at 500 mg/kg in liver and 250 and 500 mg/kg in kidney except at 500 mg/kg for the unprocessed. However, activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in serum, liver and kidney were unaffected. Significant reduction was observed in gamma-glutamyl transeferase (GGT) activity only at 500 mg/kg b.w for the processed while all doses produced reduction in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Histological changes, such as central vein dilatation in the liver and interstitial fibrosis with areas of necrosis were observed in the kidneys. Hence, consumption of calabash chalk may produce undesirable effect on the biological system as represented by the results and therefore must be discouraged.
Keywords: Calabash chalk, enzymes, geophagia, histopathology, Nzu.
References
Abrahams, P. W., Davies, T. C., Solomon, A. O., Trow, A. I. and Wragg, J (2013). Human geophagia, calabash chalk and undongo: mineral element nutritional implication. PLoS One . 8(1): e53304.
Akanji, M. A. (1986). A comparative biochemical study of the interaction of some 18 trypanocides with rat tissue cellular system. Ph.D thesis, University of Ife, Ile-Ife.
Akanji, M. A., Olagoke, O. A. and Oloyede, O. B. (1993). Effect of chronic consumption of metabisulphite on the integrity of rat kidney cellular system. Toxicology . 8:173-179
Alexander, M. D., Wodwodt, A. and AkosKiss, F. C. S. (2002). Geophagia: the history of earth-eating. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine . 95 (3):143-146.
Bisi-Johnson, M. A., Obi, C. L. and Ekosse, G. E. (2010). Microbiological and health related perspectives of geophagia: an overview. African Journal of Biotechnology . 9(19):5784-5791.
Dean, J. R., Deary, M.E., Gbefa, B. K. and Scott, W. C. (2004). Characterisation and analysis of persistent organic pollutants and major, minor and trace elements in Calabash chalk. Chemosphere . 57(1):21-25.
Ekong, M. B., Ekanem, T. B., Sunday, A. O., Aquaisua, A. N. and Akpanabiatu, M.I. (2012). Evaluation of calabash chalk effect on femur bone morphometry and mineralization in young Wistar rats: a pilot study. International Joural of Applied Basic and Medical Research . 2(2); 107-110.
Ekong, M. B., Akpantah, A. O., Ibok, O. S., Eluwa, M. A. and Ekanem, T. B. (2008). Differential effects of calabash chalk on the histology of liver of adult Wistar rats. Th e Internet Journal of Health , 8(2): 30-7.
Ferrell, R. E. (2008). Medicinal clay and spiritual healing. Clays and Clay Minerals . 56 (6): 751-60.
Food Standards Agency (2003). Calabash chalk warning. Available from: http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/imports/banned_restricted/calabashchalk.
Health Canada (2007). Calabash chalk may pose health risk for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Available from: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahcasc/media/advisoriesavis/_2007/2007_136-eng.php.
Jimoh, F. O. and Odutuga, A. A. (2001). Changes in the activities of some diagnostic enzymes in some rat tissues following the consumption of thermally oxidized groundnut oil. Nig erian J ournal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 16:173- 176.
Kaslow, J. E. (2016).Alkaline phosphatase. http://www.drkaslow.com/html/alkaline_phosphatase.html.
Kim, W. R., Flamm, S. L., Di Bisceglie, A. M. and Bodenheimer, H. C. Jr. (2008) Serum Activity of Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) as an Indicator of Health and Disease. Hepatology, 47: 4.
Krause, W. J. (2001). The Art of Examining and Interpreting Histological Preparations. A Student Handbook. The Parthenon Publishing Group, New York, London. 176-80.
Malbica, J. O. and Hart, L. G. (1971). Effect of adenosine triphosphate and some anti-inflammatory agents on purified fraction having high acid phosphatase and labile glucoronidase activity. Biochem ical Pharmacol ogy . 20: 2017-2022.
Mcloughlin, I. J. (2002). The picas. British Journal of Hospital Medicine 37:286-290.
Nurnadi, A. A., Azrina, A., Amin, I., MohdYunus, A. S. and Mohd Izuan, E. H. (2013). Mineral contents of selected marine fish and shellfish from the west coast of peninsular Malaysia. International Food Research Journal . 20(1):431-437.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guideline 423 (2001) Oral Toxicity Study in Rodents. OECD guideline for the testing of chemicals. 423:1-8.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guideline 407 (2006). Repeated dose 28-day oral toxicity study in rodents. OECD guideline for the testing of chemicals. 407:1-8.
Prabodh, V., Deva, P., Godi, S., Yeruva, R., Nadella, C. and Sripada, D. (2012). Importance of Cardiac Marker Enzymes (Aspartate Transaminase and Troponin I) in Acute Myocardial Infarction: A CaseControl Study from South India. International Journal of Medical Science and Public Health 1:118-120.
Ponnakkam, T. Iszard, M. and Henry, G. (2003). Effect of oral administration of manganese on the kidneys and urinary bladder of Sprague-Dawley rats. International Journal of Toxicology . 22(3): 227-32.
Reitman, S. and Frankel, S. (1957). A colorimetric method for the determination of serum glutamic oxaloacetate and pyruvate transaminase. America Journal of Clinical pathology 28:36- 63.
Rojik, I., Nemcsók, J. and Boross, L.(1983) Morphological and biochemical studies on liver, kidney and gill of fishes affected by pesticides. Acta Biologica Hungarica 34(1):81-92.
Schmidt, E. and Schmidt, F. W. (1963). Determination of serum glutamic oxaloacetic and glutamic pyruvic transaminase. Enzyme Biological Clinic 3:1-5.
Siest, G., Courtay, C., Oster, T., Michelet, F., Visvikis, A. and Diederich, M. (1992). Gamma-glutamyltransferase: nucleotide sequence of the human pancreatic cDNA. Evidence for a ubiquitous gammaglutamyltransferase polypeptide in human tissues. Biochem ic al Pharmacol ogy. 43 (12): 2527-2533.
Szasz, G. (1969). A kinetic photometric method for serum gamma glutamyltranspeptidase. Clinical Chemistry, 15(2):124-136.
Vermeer, D. E. and Ferrell, R. E. (1985). Nigerian geophagical clay: a traditional antidiarrheal Pharmaceutical. Science . 227(4687):634-636.
Williams, L. B., Haydel, S. E. and Ferrell, R. E. (2009). Bentonite, Bandaids, and Borborygmi. Elements . 5(2): 99-104.
Wright, P. J., Leathwood, P. D. and Plummer, D. T. (1972). Enzymes in rat urine. Alkaline phosphatase. Enzymologia . 42:317-327.
Yakubu, M. T., Bilbis, L. S., Lawal, M. and Akanji, M. A. (2003). Effect of Repeated Administration of sildenafl citrate on selected enzyme activities of liver and kidney of male albino rats. Nig eria J ournal of Pure and Applied Science 18: 1395-400.
Yakubu, M. T. (2006). Aphrodisiac and toxicological potentials of aqueous extract of Fadogia agretis stem in male albino rats. Ph. D. Thesis, University of Ilorin, Nigeria.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2016 Fountain Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright of their work, with first publication rights granted to Fountain Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences. Articles in FUJNAS are published on the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0).