ABSTRACT
Background: There are several reports of various medicinal applications and healthcare benefits of the mature unripe carica papaya fruit seeds. It was the aim of this study to assess possible alterations in the serum levels of some key liver functional enzymes and related compounds in doses of aqueous extract of carica papaya seeds in wistar rats.
Methods: Healthy rats of comparable weight and age, were organized into four groups. One other group served as control. The Test animals received daily oral dose of 50, 100, 200 and 400mg/kg of body weight of the extract, respectively, for 21 days through orogastric tube. The control group received no treatments with the seeds extract.
Results: Analysis of blood samples at the end of treatments revealed significant decrease (p ≤0.05) in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzymes. Conjugated bilirubin showed significant increase (p ≤0.05) in animals receiving the 200mg/kg dose of the extract. Total serum proteins value showed no definite alterations.
Conclusion: The observed fall in serum aminotransferase enzymes (ALP, ALT, AST) coupled with the rise in serum conjugated bilirubin levels seen in this study, was clear demonstration of possible hepatomodulatory activitiesof carica papaya seeds with hepatoprotective effects.
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