Effect of Elaeis guineensis (Jacq) leaf extracts on crude oil-induced genotoxicity in Wistar albino rats

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the ameliorative effect of extracts of Elaeis guineensis leaves on crude oil induced genotoxicity. One hundred and twenty mature male albino Wistar rats were mobilised for this investigation. The rats were acclimatized for fourteen days on grower's mash. The experiment was divided into three categories: Pre-treatment, co-treatment, post-treatment. In each category, rats were indiscriminately allotted to eight groups. Five rats made a group. Rats fed grower's mash only constitute Group 1. Rats in Group 2 were fed with crude oil contaminated feed (COCF). Group 3 to Group 8 were fed with COCF and then administered aqueous, methanol, ethanol acetone, petroleum ether and blended mixture of E. guineensis leaves extract, respectively. The rats in all groups had water ad libitum and were exposed to each diet for a period of 56 days. Biochemical analyses were carried out. In the various stages of contamination, significant (p ˂ 0.05) increases were observed in micronuclei erythrocyte and fragmented deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) in the liver of Group 2 when compared with the control. The oral administration of E. guineensis leaves extracts significantly decreased the observed micronuclei erythrocyte and fragmented DNA in liver relative to rats fed COCF but with no treatment. The study has established that pre-treatment, post-treatment and co-treatment of rats with E. guineensis extracts reversed the genotoxic effect induced by consumption of COCF in rats. Keywords: Elaeis guineensis, Genotoxicity, Crude oil, Micronuclei erythrocyte