Hepato-Renal Effects of Laportea aestuans (L.) Chew (Urticaceae) Methanol Leaf Extract and Its Phytoconstituents

Emmanuel Eimiomodebheki Odion¹,², Soromfeechukwu Freeson Festus², Theresa Chioma Umeji³,
Chinyelu Clementina Osigwe³ and Ugonma Florence Uwaeme³

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Madonna University, Elele Campus, Rivers State, Nigeria.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Madonna University, Elele Campus,
Rivers State, Nigeria

Key words:

Laportea aestuans, Aspartate transaminase. Alanine transaminase; Phytochemical, Toxicity.

*Corresponding author: emmanuel.odion@uniben.edu;
DOI:https://doi.org/10.61594/tnpr.v6(2).2025.127

Page No: 124-135
Volume: 6, Issue 2, 2025
Trends in Natural Products Research
Copy Right: NAPREG

Abstract

Many plants have been used as medicines without recourse to their adverse effects, and this study aimed to investigate their phytochemical constituents and acute and subacute toxicities in the liver and kidney of rats. Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used to identify phytochemicals. The subacute toxicity profile was determined by administering 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg to three groups of Wistar rats for 28 days. Alterations in hepatic biomarkers (aspartate transaminase (AST), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), Alanine Transaminase (ALT), total protein, total bilirubin, and conjugated bilirubin) and renal biomarkers (creatinine, urea, albumin, sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, and chloride) were also evaluated. Twenty-seven compounds were identified by the GC/MS analysis with 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-2hexadecen-1-ol (4.01 %), thiazole tetrahydro (5.08 %), N-[3,5-dinitropyridin-2-yl], proline (5.13 %), hydrazinecarbothioamide, N-(2-ethoxyethyl) (5.51 %), hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (5.83 %), methy pyrrole2-carboxylate (8.228 %), Neophytadiene (10.79 %) and benzoic acid, methyl ester (17.99 %) as the prominent compounds. Kaempferol (5.29 g/mL), epicatechin (8.23 %), naringin (15.25 %), narigenin (2.64 %), flavan-3-ol (10.55 %), flavone (3.57 %), flavonones (8.21 %), rutin (7.92 %) and resveratrol (7.78 %) were quantified by HPLC technique. Serum tests showed that aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine, urea, total bilirubin, chloride, and sodium levels were significantly lowered (P < 0.05). This study indicates a rich source of flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds in the leaves of Laportea aestuans, which could be responsible for its protective effects in the liver and kidney.