Bryophyllum Pinnatum: A Potential Attenuator of CadmiumInduced Oxidative Stress in Rabbits

Cadmium has been famously implicated in the stimulation of free radical production in biosystems resulting in oxidative deterioration of lipids, proteins and DNA, and initiating various pathological conditions in humans and animals. This study therefore, examined the antidotal and ameliorative capacity of crude ethanolic extract of Bryophyllum pinnatum on cadmium-induced oxidative stress using rabbit models. A total of fifteen rabbits (1.30±0.05kg) were used for the study. After two weeks of acclimatization, the rabbits were randomly rifted into three experimental groups- (N, CD & CB) with five animals per group. The control group (N) was injected normal saline intraperitoneally (3mg/kg body weight) and the test groups (CD & CB) were administered cadmium once daily by subcutaneous injection (3mg/kg body weight). The ethanolic extract of the plant was orally administered once daily at a dose of 100mg/kg body weight. The oxidative and antioxidative stress parameters were assessed in tissues. The results showed significant difference (p˂ 0.05)in treated groups relative to the control group with the exception of glutathione peroxidase activity in leg muscles. Therefore, the results obtained in this study confirmed the potency of the plant to annihilate cadmium toxicity in animals.