Phytochemical, pharmacological evaluation of Morinda pubescens J.E.Sm. bark extract for nephroprotective activity

BACKGROUND: Morinda pubescens J.E.Sm. (Rubiaceae) is an important medicinal plant used in indigenous system of medicine i.e., Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the nephroprotective effect of M. pubescens in gentamicin induced acute renal failure in rats. METHODS: Nephrotoxicity was induced in male Wistar rats by administration of gentamicin (100 mg/kg, i.p.) once daily for 10 days. Simultaneously, the treatment was conducted with water extract bark of M. pubescens (200 mg/kg, p.o.) and its ethyl acetate fractions (100 mg/kg, p.o.) once daily for ten days. Silymarin (50 mg/kg, p.o.) is used as standard drug. Using renal biochemical markers creatinine, urea, uric acid, BUN, albumin, protein, and other parameters are kidney weight, body weight, urine volume and histopathology of the kidney. Statistical analysis was performed by using one - way ANOVA followed by Dunnett's test. RESULTS: It was observed that the water extract and its ethyl acetate fractions bark of M. pubescens has brought back the altered levels of biochemical markers and other parameters to the near normal levels. Histopathological study revealed treatment groups also shows the normal texture of kidney. CONCLUSIONS: The present study possessed nephroprotective activity but ethyl acetate fraction was found to exhibit greater nephroprotective activity than the water extract.