Effects of Aqueous Extract of Mimosa pudica in Sulfonamide-Induced Renal Dysfunction in Albino Wistar Rats

Clinical management of renal dysfunction arising from toxicity and disease infestation has been very expensive, with more cases of mortality than success in developing countries like Nigeria.  The abundant vegetation in the tropics holds huge possibilities for ethnobotanical management of diverse physiological aberrations, including kidney dysfunction. Mimosa pudica has been reported to improve cardiac, metabolic, and neural dysregulations. However, there is dearth of its role in sulfonamide-induced renal damage in male Wistar rats.  Forty-two (42) adult rats grouped into seven (7) groups, with six (6) rats per group, were acclimatized for one week and administered treatment for 14 days.  The normal control group (group 1) was given water only, while the negative control group (group 2) was given 300mg of Sulfonamide. Group 3 was given silymarin (210mg/Kg.bw) as a positive control. Varying concentrations of M. pudica 100, 200, and 300mg/kg.bw were respectively used for groups 4, 5, and 6. Urea, Creatinine, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Bicarbonate were assayed using standard procedures.  There was a significant reduction (p < 0.05) of urea level by 274% in the group co-administered 300mg/kg.bw of aqueous extract compared to the negative control. Groups 4 and 5 had significant (p < 0.05) reduction of creatinine level, respectively, when compared with the negative control. A similar trend was observed in potassium, sodium, and chloride levels. There was a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in bicarbonate levels by 54%, 55%, and 63%, respectively, across the aqueous treatments. This shows that mimosa may confer renoprotective function on sulfonamide-induced toxicity.