Potassium Bromate Induced Renal Toxicity in Wistar Albino Rats: Effects of Aqueous Extract of Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt)

Much attention has been drawn to the toxic effect of bromate on the organs like liver, spleen etc. However, it is not clear whether or not the toxicity of bromate is related to other vital organs like the kidney. Hence, the present work is geared towards not only unraveling the toxic effect of bromate on the kidney but more importantly investigate the protective effect of African nutmeg Myristica fragrans against bromate induced toxicity in this organ. Twenty wistar albino rats (180 to 200 g) were divided into 4 groups. Group I was given normal rat feed with water as control; group II was administered with 1.0mL Potassium bromate (KBrO3) solution (30 mg/kg body weight); groups III and IV were simultaneously administered with 1.0mL of KBrO3 each and 1.0mL of 20% and 40% aqueous extract of African nutmeg respectively. All the treatments were given daily for two weeks. Enzyme biomarkers such as Aspartate Transaminase (AST), Alkaline Transaminase (ALT), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), Cholesterol (CHOL), High Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol (HDL-CHOL), Triglycerides (TRIG), and Malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in the kidney homogenate. Results obtained showed that although bromate exerted significant (P < 0.05) toxic effects on the kidney homogenate, administration of the aqueous seed extract of African nutmeg caused a marked reversal in the toxicity of bromate in a dose dependent fashion. Since, the introduction of bromate caused an alteration in enzyme biomarkers in the kidney homogenate, this indicates that the seed is a potential antioxidant against bromate toxicity of the kidney tissues.