INVESTIGATION OF THE INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF THE AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF CURCUMA LONGA ON THE ACTIVITY OF NA+/K+-ATPASE AND CA2+-ATPASE IN RATS

This research was carried out to investigate the effects of the aqueous extract of Curcuma longa on the activity of Na+/K+-ATPase in rats. Fifteen (15) healthy adult male albino rats with average weight of 150g were grouped into three; A, B and C respectively. Group A (control) were placed on water and food while group B were treated with 50 mg/kg body weight of extract and group C received 100 mg/Kg body weight of Curcuma longa for period of seven days. The animals were sacrificed and the required organs were harvested for biochemical assays. The results of the biochemical assays revealed that administration of the aqueous extract did not affect the organ body weight of the treated rats. Results also show that the activity of the ATPase was not affected at the dose of 50 mg/Kg but significantly reduced and inhibited the activity of the ATPases at the dose of 100mg/Kg. The extract inhibited the activity of the ATPases as it showed significant decrease from 181.5 ± 4.65a to 65.5 ± 0.65b. Because of the wide-spread belief that herbal medicines are safer than synthetic drugs, users become less conscious of the associated dangers. Na+ and K+ are very important for neurosignaling, enzymatic activities and mineral metabolism, errors in sodium Na+ and K+ pumps has received serious attention because of numerous interconnections with different neurological and cardiovascular disease pathologies. Several studies have reported the inhibitory effect of the plant extract on the enzyme activity, suggesting potential pharmacological applications.