Phytochemical Study and Biochemical Effect of Methanol Exctract of Khaya anthotheca in Indomethacin-Treated Albino Wistar Rats

Background and Objective: Khaya anthotheca is a medicinal plant native to Africa. It is widely used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of diseases. Herein, phytochemical screening of methanol extract of Khaya anthotheca root and its effect on biochemical parameters in indomethacin-treated Wistar rats were investigated. Materials and Methods: Mature Khaya anthotheca roots were air-dried, pulverized and used for phytochemical study. The 15 rats were distributed into three groups; Group I: Normal control (diet/water), Group II: Negative control (25 mg/kg/b.wt., indomethacin+diet/water) and Group III: Extract treated (25 mg/kg/b.wt., indomethacin+diet/water+400 mg/kg/b.wt., extracts). The treatment lasted for 14 days and animals were sacrificed and blood was collected, centrifuged and serum was separated and used for biochemical analyses. Results: Results of phytochemical study revealed the presence of flavonoids, triterpenoids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins and phenolic compounds, while GC-MS analysis revealed 20 compounds with Campesterol, 3-Hexen-2-one, Eicosane, D-Limonene, Z, Z-8, 10-Hexadecadien-1-ol, Neointermedeol, Phytol, 9, 12-Octadecadienoic acid, (Z, Z)-5-Oleic acid and Octadecanoic acid as the major constituents. Furthermore, the results of liver function assay study showed that indomethacin administration led to elevation of both serum hepatic indices (Alkali Phosphatase (ALP), Aspartate Transaminase (AST) and Alanine Transaminase (ALT)) and renal indices (creatine and urea). However, treatment with Khaya anthotheca methanol root extract markedly (p<0.05) reduced the serum levels of the hepatic parameter and as well normalized the renal indices. Conclusion: It is therefore worth suggesting that Khaya anthotheca could be a promising therapeutic candidate for hepatic and renal complications. However, further research is needed as limited experimental reports are available on the active ingredients and their pharmacological efficacy in clinical trials.