Soursop leaf extract increases neuroglia and hepatic degeneration in female rats

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Soursop leaf contains annonaceous acetogenins and alkaloids. The
acetogenins act as inhibitors of mitochondrial complex I, suppress ATP
production and cause cell degeneration, whereas the alkaloids act as
neurotoxins. Neuronal degeneration will be followed by an increase in
neuroglia (gliosis). Hepatic clear cell foci represent the morphology of liver
degeneration. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of soursop
leaf extract on number of neuroglia brain gliosis and hepatic clear cells in
female rats.

METHODS
This study was an experimental study with a post-test only control group
design. Ten female Sprague-Dawley strain rats were divided into one control
and one treatment group. The control group was gavaged with distilled water,
while the treatment group was gavaged with aqueous soursop leaf extract at
a dose of 1000 mg/kgBW/day for 90 days. Rat brain tissue samples were
taken at day 91 with a transcardial perfusion technique. The number of
neuroglia in rat cerebral cortex, hippocampus, substantia nigra, and nucleus
accumbens and the number of hepatic clear cells were determined.
Independent t-test was used to examine the differences in the numbers of
neuroglia and hepatic clear cells between control and treatment groups

RESULTS
The results of independent t-test analysis found a significant difference in
the number of neuroglia in the cerebral cortex (p=0.015) and nucleus
accumbens of the rats (p=0.030), and significant differences in the number
of hepatic clear cells (p=0.029).

CONCLUSIONS
Aqueous soursop leaf extract orally increases neuroglia of the cerebral cortex
and nucleus accumbens, and hepatic degeneration in female rats.