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Hepato- and Nephro-Effect of Sphenostylis stenocarpa– Formulated Diet on Dexamethasone-Treated Pregnant Rats

This study sought to investigate the effect of Sphenostylis stenocarpa-formulated diet on hepatic and renal parameters of dexamethasone-treated pregnant rats. Sphenostylis stenocarpa were locally sourced from a market in Ado Ekiti. They were milled into powder and used in formulating feed for experimental animals. Fifteen female pregnant rats were divided in three groups of five each. Animals in group A were exposed to standard animal feed only. This served as the control group. Those in group B were exposed to Sphenostylis stenocarpa-formulated diet + 0.3 mg/kg body weight of dexamethasone, while those in group C were exposed to Sphenostylis stenocarpa-formulated diet. At the end of the eight days treatment, animals were sacrificed and blood sample, liver and kidney were collected. Exposure of pregnant rats to dexamethasone was observed to significantly (p<0.05) increased the activities of plasma aspartate amino transaminase (AST) and alanine amino transferase (ALT) as well as the concentrations of plasma total protein, bilirubin, creatinine and urea when compared with those in animals in the control as well as those fed with S. stenocarpa-formulated diet only. The results further showed that pregnant rats fed with S. stenocarpa-formulated diet only had no significant difference on plasma hepatic and renal biomarkers when compared with those in the control group. The results of liver and kidney homogenates are similar to those observed in the plasma. Exposure of animals to dexamethasone adversely unhinged hepatic and renal biomarkers investigated in the study. The study also revealed that P. biglobosa seed is beneficial to the health of the liver and kidney of pregnant female rats.