Prophylactic Effect of Cyperus Esculentus Milk on High Dose Acetaminophen Model of Hepatic Toxicity in Wistar Rats

Cyperus esculentus is a wholesome nut with notable nutritional and medicinal benefits. This study investigated the prophylactic impact of Cyperus esculentus milk extract (CE) on high dose acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver impairment in experimental rats. Thirty rats weighing between  180-200 g were randomly distributed into 6 groups (n=5). Groups 1 (control given only distilled water) and 2 (negative control given APAP) were without treatment, while rats in groups 3, 4, 5 and 6 were orally administered 8.57 mg ascorbic acid, 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of body weight CE respectively for 21 days. On the 22nd day of the experiment, 1 g/kg body weight of acetaminophen was administered orally to rats in groups 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. The serum and liver of sacrificed animals were collected for analyses. CE at selected doses appreciably prevented high dose acetaminophen-induced increase in serum activities (p<0.05) of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and concentration of malondialdehyde as seen in the untreated APAP control group. Decreased serum GST activity caused by acetaminophen in untreated group improved significantly (p<0.05) in CE treated groups which was comparable (p > 0.05) to ascorbic acid group. In the liver, acetaminophen decreased the activities of AST, ALT, ALP, however, increased concentration and activity of malondialdehyde and GST respectively (p < 0.05). Pre-administration of CE markedly prevented these effects in the liver of rats that were administered acetaminophen. The present study demonstrated C. esculentus milk extracts prevented hepatic damage caused by high dose acetaminophen in rats. Keywords: Acetaminophen, Cyperus esculentus, biomarkers, hepatoprotective.