EVALUATION OF THE SUBCHORIONIC EFFECT OF AQUEOUS LEAF EXTRACT OF PSIDIUM GUAJAVA ON THE LIVER OF ADULT WISTAR RATS.

ABSTRACT Psidium guajava leaves has been used traditionally in the management of different ailments. Yet, there is paucity of information on the toxic effects. The present study is aimed to Evaluation of the subchronic effect of aqueous leaf extract of Psidium guajava on the liver of adult Wistar rats. In this study, the leaves of Psidium guajava were gotten from a farmland in Ekpoma, authenticated, chopped into pieces, sundried, grinded into fine powder and mixed with water produce a gel-like extract. Sixteen (16) adult Wistar rats were randomly assigned into four groups i.e. group A (Control), group B (Low dose treatment), group C (Medium dose treatment) and group D (High dose treatment), each containing four rats (n= 4/group). The animals in group A served as control while animals in Group B, C and D were treated with 150mg/kg, 300mg/kg and 500mg/kg body weight of aqueous extract of Psidium guajava respectively. At the end of the experiment, the animals were sacrificed under chloroform anesthesia. The liver was excised, weighed and fixed in formalin for tissue processing. There was a significant increase (p< 0.05) in the final body weight of the treated group when compared with the control group, particularly in the low and high dose groups. The comparison between the weight of liver was not statistically significant (p> 0.05). The absence of liver damage, coupled with the observed weight gain, supports the safety profile of Psidium guajava as a potentially beneficial herbal remedy without causing toxicity or organ harm. Future studies should explore the underlying mechanisms behind these effects and investigate the long-term safety and efficacy of the extract for therapeutic use.