7. Protective role of ethanolic extract of Sorghum bicolor leaf sheath against cadmium-induced oxidative stress in rats

We investigated the protective effects of ethanolic extract of Sorghum bicolor leaf sheath (EESBLS) against Cadmium (Cd) – induced oxidative stress in rats. 35 rats (Rattus norvegicus) weighing 180±20 g, were randomized into seven groups of five animals each. Group I (control) received physiological saline, group II received 8mg/kg body weight (b.w.) of Cd, group III, 8mg/kg b.w. Cd and EESBLS (100mg/kg b.w.); group IV, 8mg/kg b.w. Cd and EESBLS (200mg/kg b.w.); group V, 8mg/kg b.w. Cd and EESBLS (400mg/kg b.w.), group VI, 8mg/kg b.w. Cd and EESBLS (800mg/kg b.w.) and group VII received EESBLS alone (800mg/kg b.w.). All treatments lasted for 7 days. Results show that Cd – induced toxicity was characterized by a significant increase (p<0.05) in plasma creatinine, urea and bilirubin, by 64.7%, 65.4%, and 105.5% respectively. However, this pattern was significantly (p<0.05) reduced in the EESBLS treated groups in a dose-dependent manner. EESBLS also reduced significantly (p<0.05), the Cd-induced elevation of plasma total cholesterol, HDL- cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides. Hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA), and plasma activities of Alkaline phosphatase, Aspartate transaminase, and Alanine aminotransferase significantly (p<0.05) increased following Cd administration by 277.3%, 76%, 48% and 95.5% respectively. These increases were significantly (p<0.05) supressed by the EESBLS in a dose related manner. Furthermore, Cd-induced reduction in hepatic level of glutathione (GSH), ascorbic acid, Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) and Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were reversed by EESBLS. Overall, the results show that Cd altered enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defence system and induced oxidative stress in rats while the ethanolic extract of Sorghum bicolor leaf sheath attenuated these effects.