Abstract:
This study investigated the possible hepatoprotective effect of quail egg solution on
acetaminophen intoxicated rats. Thirty adult rats of mixed sexes were assigned into five
groups of six per group. The rats in groups 2, 3, and 4 were pretreated with 30, 15, 7.5
mg/ml ad lib respectively of quail egg solution for 7 days before intoxication with 2000
mg/kg acetaminophen. Rats in group 5 were not pretreated but intoxicated with 2000
mg/kg acetaminophen (negative control) while the group 1 rats were neither pretreated
nor intoxicated and served as positive control. Fourty eight hours post induction, blood
for some biochemical and haematological analysis was collected and the remaining rats
treated until 14th day when the rats were humanely sacrificed and vital organs (liver and
kidney) collected for histopathology. The results showed that the ALT activity of 30
mg/ml pretreated rats were significantly (p<0.05) lower than those of the negative
control rats. Significant (p<0.05) increases were seen in the RBC, WBC, PCV and Hb
levels of quail egg pretreated rats when compared with the negative control. However no
significant (p>0.05) changes were seen in AST activity, MCHC and MCH levels of both the
test groups and the controls. Histomorphometry examination revealed less severe
vacuolar degenerative changes in the liver of 30 mg/ml pretreated rats when compared
to the rats of other intoxicated groups. It was concluded that quail egg at the
concentration of 30 mg/ml ameliorated hepatotoxicity and improved haematologic
indices of acetaminophen-induced toxicity in rats.
