EFFECT OF AFRICAN POTATO (Hypoxis hemerocallidea) EXTRACT ON OXIDATIVE STRESS INDUCED BY CHLOROQUINE IN ALBINO RATS

This study evaluated the antioxidant and protective effects of Hypoxis hemerocallidea Fisch. & C. A. Mey. (Hypoxidaceae) Corm ('African potato') water extract (HH) against chloroquine induced oxidative stress in albino rats. Chloroquine has been known to generate oxidative stress when used for different types of treatment like malaria, prophylactic treatment and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. There is also biomedical evidence that African potato corm extracts possess anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive, antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties in vivo and in vitro. Twenty five albino rats were used for this study and were divided into five groups; chloroquine control group (CQ) received choroquine (25 mg/kg every day), normal control group (NC) received distilled water every day, normal experimental group (HYP) received water decoction of corm (10 ml/kg), two experimental groups (E1 and E2) received chloroquine (25 mg/kg) plus 10 ml and 20 ml of extract kg-1 body weight respectively. The experiment was conducted for a period of 30 days after which the rats were killed under ether anaesthesia, blood collected and liver removed for th