Effect of oral administration of ethanolic leaf extract of acanthospermum hispidium DC from Nigeria on some selected rat kidney enzyme activities

Acanthospermum hispidum dc is a medicinal plant commonly known as ewe onitan meta in western nigeria. the leaves are used locally for the treatment of acute tuberculosis,cough,diarrhea,dysentery,typhoid and pneumonia. in this study,rats were administered with ethanolic extract of leaves once daily at 24 hours intervals. a significant reduction in the sgot and sgpt activities and an increase in the lactate dehydrogenase activity were observed. this later attained a normal level five days after the last dose. alkaline phosphatase activities were not significantly altered. results show that repeated administration of leaf extract will compromise some primary functions of the kidney that depend on transamination reactions. increase in lactate dehydrogenase activity of the tissues suggests the preference for lactic acid production in the kidney and enhancement of acidosis due to the administration of the extract.