Abstract

*Usman Wali, Mohammed Haruna Yeldu, Abdullahi Yahaya Abbas, A. Yakubu and Jimoh A.A.

ABSTRACT

The Spirulina platensis has been extensively used in the therapeutic management of chronic metabolic and non-metabolic disorders. However, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic liver disease known as hepatic module of the metabolic syndrome. In this study, the efficacy of atorvastatin treatment and graded doses of S. platensis on the NAFLD rats were assessed. Forty-six (46) Wistar rats were randomly grouped into 2 groups comprising of 8 rats as a controls and 38 rats as test group. Control group received only basal diet and water while the test group was fed with high fat diet (HFD) and carbon tetrachloride (CCL4) intragastric twice a week for 8 weeks. Thereafter, 2 rats were sacrificed from each group and hepatic histological examination carried out to establish the occurrence of non-alcoholic liver disease. The negative control and test group were regrouped into six groups (n=6). Positive control (NAFLD), received high fatty diet and CCL4 intragastric, group 3 received 10 mg/kg b.w. of atorvastatin and groups 4, 5, 6 and 7 received (200 mg, 400 mg, 600 mg and 800 mg/kg b.w respectively) of S. platensis extract intragastric for 4 weeks. Serum nitric oxide (NO), endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity (eNOS), liver function test, lipid profile and histologic analysis were performed using standard techniques. Administration of atorvastatin and high doses of S. platensis exerted more potent effects against necrosis of the hepatocytes, steatohepatitis, hyperlipidemia, and obesity in NAFLD rats, and this may be a future aid tool for developing a novel challenge against NAFLD impacts. The results indicated that high doses of spirulina exhibited better effects comparing to the atorvastatin.