Ameliorating Effect of Selected Vegetables on the Biochemical and Histological Changes in the Liver Associated with High-Calorie Diet

Background and Objective: The number of severe liver damage cases at the advanced stages of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is increasing every year. The study determined the effect of Amaranthus hybridus, Crassocephalum crepidioides, Senecio biafrae and Corchorus olitorius on the biochemical and histological changes in the liver of male Wistar rats fed on a high-calorie diet. Materials and Methods: The vegetables’ leaves were picked, washed, cut and dried at 40°C. There were six groups of rats for the study. The positive control group was fed with food and water, while the negative control group received only a high-calorie diet. The four test groups were fed a high-calorie diet supplemented with 5% of one of the dried vegetables, respectively. At the end of five weeks, the liver weight, liver function test, oxidative stress and histology of the liver were determined. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance at p≤0.05 and means were separated using Duncan’s multiple range tests. Results: The liver weight was not significantly different except for the group fed on A. hybridus. There was a significant difference (p≤0.05) in the Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) and Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) levels among the groups. The group fed on S. biafrae (21.55 U/L) had significantly low AST, while ALT was significantly low in the group fed C. olitorius (25.48 U/L). Low levels of MDA (19.7 U/mL), SOD (16.4 U/mL) and CAT (16.53 U/mL) were recorded in the group fed S. biafrae. The histological derangement of the liver of the treatment groups was mild compared to the group fed a high-calorie diet. Conclusion: The vegetables had varying potentials for hepatoprotective. However, the S. biafrae group had better histology and the best hepatoprotective effect.