Anti-neurological dysfunction of stone breaker (phyllanthus niruri linn) leaf extract caused from cold restrain stress induction in female wistar rats

• Author Details:   
• Godspower Oyubu
• Bridget Kpoma
• Festus Olayinka Daramola
• Asimi Tawakalitu Temitope
• Esther Udo Umoh ^*

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Introduction: Stone breaker (Phyllanthus niruri (Linn.)) is a medicinal plant with long history of folkloric therapeutic use in the treatment of pathological conditions such as neurological diseases (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer, memory and learning disorder).

Aim and Objectives: This study was designed to investigate the ameliorative potentials of stone breaker (Phyllanthus niruri (Linn.)) Leaf Extract (PLE) on Cold Restrain Stress (CRS)-induced neurological dysfunction in rat’s model.

Materials and Methods: 25 Albino rats were divided into 5 groups of 5 wistar albino rats each, CRS method of induction were carried out for 3h/day for 7days followed by oral administration of PLE with doses of 100 and 200mg/kg BWT and 0.05mg/kg BWT of prazocin for 28days. In vivo inflammatory, excitatory, neuro- functional and behavioral indices were evaluated with the following assays; inflammatory assays (myeloperoxidase, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and xanthine oxidase), excitatory assay (Na+/K+ ATPase) and neuro- functional assay (dopamine concentration and activities of acetylcholinesterase, tyrosine hydroxylase and NADH-Ubiquinone dehydrogenase (Complex I enzyme)). The behavioral indices (Y-maze task were determined on the rats to monitor the extent of cerebral alternation.

Result: Tthis revealed that phyllanthus leaf extract (PLE) significantly (p<0.05) ameliorated the damage induced by CRS in the brain of the wistar rats establishing the ameliorative potential of PLE (Linn.) in the administered groups (100mg/kg and 200mg/kg BWT), with the effect evident by an improved behavioral index. The treatment suppressed the effects of CRS by increasing the activity in excitatory (Na+/K+ ATPase), Neuro-functional concentration/activities (Dopamine concentration, Tyrosine hydroxylase, NADH-Ubiquinone dehydrogenase (Complex I enzyme)) and significantly decreased the activity of acetyl cholinesterase.

Conclusion: Therefore, this study was carried out to determine its therapeutic potentials of stone breaker in the management neurodegenerative dysfunction, and this has been proven by the extract by inhibition observed on the inflamed tissue and as well increased on the memory indices declined by the CRS in the cause of induction, and as such stone breaker leaves would be a therapeutic agent in the management of neurological disorder or neurodegenerative diseases.