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This paper aims to investigate the effect of Citrus maxima juice on fasting blood glucose, lipid profile, liver enzyme and body weight of alloxan-induced diabetic adult wistar rats.

The fruits were thoroughly washed with potable water. They were peeled; the epicarp and seeds were removed. Fruit juice was extracted from the pulp. Animal experiment was carried out using 21 adult male wistar rats weighing about 110-130 g. The rats were categorized into three groups (A-C), with each group consisting of seven rats of similar body weights. Diabetes was induced using alloxan. Rats in Groups A and B were administered 300 mg and 600 mg of C. maxima fruit juice/kg body weight/day, respectively, for 14 days, while Group C rats acted as control and received placebo. Biochemical analysis was performed using standard procedures. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 21.

Blood glucose of rats in the treated groups decreased significantly (p < 0.05) from 454.7 and 569.7 mg/dl to 149.3 and 297.3 mg/dl, respectively, while the control increased from 257.0 to 46.57 mg/dl. Total cholesterol and triglyceride levels of Group B rats reduced significantly (p < 0.05), while the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level increased (p < 0.05). Body weight of rats in the treated groups increased significantly (p < 0.05) by 30.1 and 20.2 per cent in Groups A and B, respectively, compared to the control group, which reduced by 0.21 per cent. There was no significant effect on markers of liver damage.

The rate at which diabetes and other non-communicable diseases increase recently calls for affordable and sustainable management.

Diabetes is one of the major health and development challenges of the 21st century, its complications are disabling and life threatening.

The hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic properties demonstrated by C. maxima fruit juice suggest its potential contribution in reducing/stabilizing blood glucose level and managing complications of diabetes.

This paper seeks to investigate Cordia myxa L. (CM) extracts as hepatoprotective agents, through their antioxidant activities.

Oxydative liver damage in rats was induced in Wister rats by two agents: carbon Tetrachloride (CCl₄) and thioacetamide (TA). Oxydative damage was evaluated by a measurement of aspartate transaminase (AST), glutamate transaminase (ALT) and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), in sera of the rats. Several extracts of Cordia myxa were prepared and were fed to experimental animals over a period of two weeks. Liver recovery was assessed by measuring the above hepatic enzymes and their comparison with the control group of animals. Phenolic content of the extracts was measured by Folin‐Ciocalteu reagent and was calculated as gallic acid equivalents. α,α‐diphenyl‐β‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay was used to measure antiradical activity of the extracts and it was compared with ascorbic acid.

Maximum fruit extract can be obtained by hand‐macerating the peeled fruit rich in phenolic content 11.1±1.47 mg/g gallic acid equivalent. Its antiradical activity was measured as 16.34±0.81 that was calculated as 10.0±1.24 ascorbic acid equivalent. CCl4 and TA induced comparable oxidative liver damage as measured through hepatic enzymes. A significant (p=0.05) liver recovery was noticed when animals treated with CCl4/TA were fed with CM extracts.

The study reports the protective role of C. myxa in chemically induced fibrosis by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) and thioacetamide (TA).

Flaxseed (FL) is a nutrient rich seed but contains cyanogenic glycosides, which can release hydrogen cyanide (HCN) into the body after consumption. This study aims to determine the cyanogenic content of raw and heated (170°C, 15 min) flaxseed as well as its effect on the blood thiocyanate (SCN⁻) concentration, a derivate of HCN, in rats. Changes in liver and kidney enzymes level of blood are further studied.

Rats were assigned into groups of control, 10 percent, 20 percent and 30 percent of either raw or heated FL, in basal diet, for duration of 30 days. Cyanogenic content of FL analyzed using picrate method and blood thiocyanate concentration analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography.

Raw ground flaxseed had 251.14±9.11 mg HCN/kg food, which significantly reduced by 8.5 percent after heating. Generally heated FL groups showed lower (but not significant) blood thiocyanate compared to raw FL groups. Blood SCN elevated by increasing the dosage of flaxseed. However, only in 30 percent raw FL group the difference was significant (p<0.05). Liver and kidney enzymes were not changed significantly in all groups (p>0.05). This study suggests that consumption of flaxseed in high dosage (20 percent to 30 percent) is better to be in heated form to result in lower blood thiocyanate concentration.

This study may provide better understanding for safer usage of flaxseed in animals and even human interventional studies and may be applicable to flaxseed consuming food industries.

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of two green leafy vegetables (Gongronema latifolium and Celosia argentea) on the hepatic biomarkers [Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)], cardiac biomarkers [Creatine Kinase (CK) and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)] and histopathology of the heart of high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats, with the aim of evaluating the vegetables as functional foods.

Experimental diets consisted of Control Diet (CD), High-Fat Diet (HFD), High-Fat Diet with Blanched Celosia argentea (HCB), High-Fat Diet with Unblanched Celosia argentea (HCU), High-Fat diet with Blanched Gongronema latifolium (HGB) and High-Fat Diet with Unblanched Gongronema latifolium (HGU). Seventy-five albino male rats (weighing 180–200 g) were used. The animals were divided into 15 groups of five albino rats each. Animals in Groups 1, 2 and 3 were fed with CD, HFD only and HFD with Atorvastin (5 mg/kg b.w), respectively. Animals in Groups 4, 5 and 6 were fed with 5, 10 and 15% HCB, respectively. Animals in Groups 7, 8 and 9 were fed with 5, 10 and 15% HCU, respectively, whereas animals in Groups 10, 11 and 12 were fed with 5, 10 and 15% HGB, respectively, and animals in Groups 13, 14 and 15 were fed with 5, 10 and 15% diet-inclusion of HGU, respectively.

The incorporation of the vegetal matter into the diet brought about a significant reduction (p = 0.05) in the activities of ALT, AST, CK and LDH when compared with HFD. However, the histological examination showed no pathological lesion, only at 15% inclusion of the vegetables.

The paper established that the incorporation of Celosia argentea and Gongronema latifolium into diet, most especially at 15% inclusion, may serve as functional food in the management of hyperlipidemia and associated complications.

A plethora of publications have reported several cytotoxic effects associated with chronic consumption of thermoxidized palm oil. This research aims to investigate the effects of garlic and Aloe vera on liver function and hepatic cytoarchitecture in rats fed thermoxidized palm oil diet.

Thirty-five male albino Wistar rats weighing 150-180 g were used for this study. They were randomly assigned into five groups (n = 7): control, thermoxidized palm oil diet fed (TPO), TPO plus garlic juice (TPO + G), TPO plus Aloe gel (TPO + A) and TPO plus garlic/Aloe gel (TPO + G + A). The TPO diet was prepared by mixing 15 g of cooled thermoxidized palm oil with 85 g of rat feed. The juice and gel were orally administered at doses of 2.00 ml/kg and 19.12 ml/kg, respectively. After 3 months of feeding and administration, the animals were sacrificed using standard methods and blood collected via cardiac puncture for analysis.

Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase were significantly increased (p < 0.001) in the TPO group compared to the control. This increase was reduced (p < 0.001) in all the treated groups compared to TPO, with the greatest decrease (p < 0.001) seen in TPO + A. Total bilirubin was increased (p < 0.001) in the TPO group compared to the control, whereas there was a significant decrease (p < 0.001) in all the treated groups. Serum proteins and plasma fibrinogen were lowered (p < 0.001) in the TPO group compared to the control but increased progressively in all the treated groups. TPO induced prominent histopathological derangements of the liver tissues. However, there were marked improvements following treatment with garlic and Aloe vera.

The results obtained in this study have revealed that chronic consumption of thermoxidized palm oil is hazardous to health by inducing hepatotoxicity, as seen in increased ALT, AST and total and unconjugated bilirubin and decreased total protein. However, these debilitating effects were seen to be greatly ameliorated following garlic juice and Aloe vera gel administration. If these results are to be extrapolated to humans, then the chronic consumption of thermoxidized palm oil diet should be seriously discouraged.

In this second part of the review the roles that copper and dietary carbohydrate play in the cardiovascular system, pregnancy and lactation, haemopoiesis, and in male and female animals, are summarised. The mechanisms that may contribute to the exacerbation of copper deficiency when simple sugars are consumed are discussed.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is highly prevalent in the United States, yet is largely culturally invisible. This study examines what people know about their illness, both before and after diagnosis, and the relationship to race. The data are from in-depth interviews in 2004 with 53 persons, mostly white or African American, with HCV in the southeastern United States. The respondents have varying educational backgrounds, family incomes, and possible modes of transmission of HCV. Regardless of whether the diagnosis of HCV came as a surprise, respondents had a range of reactions including fear, shock, sadness, and ambivalence. Knowledge of the disease postdiagnosis varies as some people have expert knowledge, moderate knowledge, or inaccurate to no knowledge of the disease. Minority respondents have less knowledge of HCV than whites. This racial disparity in knowledge has profound implications for people with HCV and the larger society.

The purpose of this study is to examine the acute toxicity and antidiabetic activity of Asystacia gangetica leaf ethanol extract.

The study was designed as completely randomized in vivo experimental model. Where acute toxicity study was carried out using 30 albino mice, randomly assigned into six groups of five mice each. Toxicity signs and mortality were observed in the rats within a period of 24 h. The acute and sub-acute antidiabetic study was carried out using 50 rats, randomly assigned into five groups of 10 rats each. The rats’ blood glucose levels were determined and used to assess the acute and sub-acute antidiabetic activity of the extract.

Results obtained from the acute toxicity study indicated no death in any of the study groups, even at 5,000 mg/kg body weight and showed no signs of toxicity. The acute antidiabetic study showed that treatment with 400 mg/kg of the extract significantly (p = 0.01) lowered glucose level in the diabetic rats from 430.6 to 177.4 mg/dl while 800 mg/kg brought down glucose level from 370 to 144.2 mg/dl by the end of 6 h following administration when compared with the diabetic control group. It was observed that the effect of the extract mostly at 800 mg/kg also compared favorably with that of the standard drug (glibenclamide), which lowered glucose level in diabetic rats from 374.2 to 176.4 mg/dl. Furthermore, the significant reduction was evident from 4, 2 and 2 h for 400 mg/kg extract, 800 mg/kg extract and 5 mg/kg glibenclamide, respectively. At sub-acute level the blood glucose was lowered from 155.6 to 127.2 mg/dl, 137 to 124.4 mg/dl and 151.8 to 121.8 mg/dl for diabetic rats treated with 400 mg/kg, 800 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg glibenclamide, respectively, when compared to the diabetic untreated rats, which ranged from 417.6 to 358.6 mg/dl. The biochemical profile, lipid profile and hematological examination were all positively restored near to normal with the herbal treatment at the different doses. At histopathology level, the liver of the rats treated with 400 mg/kg had moderate portal inflammation without interface or lobular hepatitis while that of 800 mg/kg showed severe portal inflammation with the interface and lobular hepatitis with extensive confluents necrosis. The pancreatic cells of the treated rat showed no significant difference in the β-cells of the islets of Langerhans with hyperplasia of the acinar cell when compared to the diabetic untreated.

The record of no death and signs of toxicity implies that the extract is safe for consumption even at a high dosage of 5,000 mg/kg body weight. The significant (p = 0.01) reduction in the plasma glucose level of the treated rats as compared to the control is an indication of blood glucose-lowering potential of the extract at two different doses. The significant reduction evident of the extract at different hours and days for the two doses implies that the extract rate of lowering potentials is dose-dependent. The evidence of moderate-severe portal inflammation with the interface and lobular hepatitis at 800 mg/kg treatment is an indication that the intake of this herb at high dosage for long period is not safe for the liver tissue.

The outcome of this study suggested that the Asystacia gangetica should also be used as a vegetable in-home food preparation and food processing to use its antidiabetic effect. The herbal extract could also be incorporated into a food product and processed into herbal tea bag for convenient. The subjection of this herbal plant to heat treatment during processing could be a possible avenue to make it safe.

The economic burden and complications of diabetes mellitus management will be reduced if the practical implication of this research finding is implemented in foods as vegetable and in functional food production.

This study revealed that Asystacia gangetica leaf extract may be safe and effective for use at a low dose for acute management of diabetes mellitus. This research may be of value to those living with diabetes mellitus.

The results of human studies evaluating the efficacy of plant Phytosterols on liver function were inconsistent. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to eliminate these controversies about the Phytosterols consumption on liver serum biochemistry in adult subjects.

The literatures systematically searched throughout PubMed and Scopus databases up to June 2018; it was conducted by using related keywords. Estimates of effect sizes were expressed based on weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% CI from the random-effects model (erSimonian and Laird method). Heterogeneity across studies was assessed by using I2 index. Eighteen studies reported the effects of Phytosterols (PS) supplementation on liver serum biochemistry.

The current meta-analysis did not show a significant effect on ALT (MD: 0.165 U/L, 95% CI: −1.25, 1.58, p = 0.820), AST (MD: −0.375 IU/Liter, 95% CI: −1.362, 0.612, p = 0.457), ALP (MD: 0.804 cm, 95% CI: −1.757, 3.366, p = 0.538), GGT (MD: 0.431 U/L, 95% CI: −1.803, 2.665, p = 0.706) and LDH (MD: 0.619 U/L, 95% CI: −4.040, 5.277, p = 0.795) following PS consumption.

The authors found that no protective or toxic effects occur after the consumption of Phytosterols on liver enzymes including ALT, AST, ALP, LDH and GGT.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate safety of the enzymatic treatment (garlic peroxidase) for removing aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) from foods.

An in vivo study was carried out on male wistar rats for three weeks. Since AFB₁ is a hepatotoxic; the effect of AFB₁ and the enzymatic detoxification of AFB₁ on the liver function was studied by determining the serum activities of various hepatic enzymes in different groups of experimental rats.

The peroxidase (POD) isolated from garlic possess AFB₁ degrading properties and the overall detoxification is safe to be used in various foods/feeds as the reaction products produced no toxicity in the adult male wistar rats. Rats fed with aflatoxin contaminated diet possessed increased activities of all the hepatic enzymes investigated; showing symptoms of liver damage compared to rats fed with enzyme treated diet.

The results of this study can be utilized for commercialization of the garlic POD mediated AFB₁ detoxification from feeds/foods.

The aflatoxin detoxyfying abilities of garlic POD and its in vivo safety studies have not been reported so far.