Assessment of the Effect of Ethylacetate Extract of Plumbago Zeylanica on Mitochondria Permeability Transition Pore

Purpose: This study was therefore conducted in order to investigate the modulatory effects of ethylacetate root extracts of PZ on MPTP using animal model. Materials and Methods: Different concentrations of ethylacetate (8µg/ml, 24µg/ml, 40µg/ml, and 56µg/ml) extract of the root of PZ were used in-vitro. For in-vivo analysis, different doses of 5, 10, 20, and 25 mg/kg bwt of the ethylacetate extract were orally administered to four groups of animals respectively. The control group was fed distilled water given in the same doses as the experimental groups. Hepatic injury was assessed histologically and by the quantification of Alanine transaminase (ALT) and Aspartate transaminase (AST) levels in serum samples. Epididymal sperm samples were analyzed for motility, sperm counts and morphological disorders. Results obtained were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) at 0.05 significance. Findings: There was significant induction of the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore in a dosage dependent manner. Ethylacetate extract of P. zeylanica induces maximally at 24µg/ml and 25mg/kg invitro and invivo respective. Calcium played an important role in these assays as little or no induction was observed when all assays were carried out without calcium. Haematological, histological and fertility tests revealed no significant difference in all treatment groups when compared with the control. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: These results therefore suggest that bioactive agents present in P. zeylanica possess properties that induces MPTP and thus may become promising drug candidate for the treatment of cancer.