THE DETERMINATION OF ASPARTATE AND ALANINE AMINOTRANSFERASE ACTIVITY IN WISTAR RATS FED WITH MODIFIED DIET OF EDIBLE BLACK CARICA PAPAYA L.SEEDS
1P. I. Imoesi, 1L. Edemhanria, 2F. A. Esekheigbe and 3K. Okoyomoh
1Department of Chemical Sciences (Biochemistry), Samuel Adegboyega University, Ogwa, Edo State, Nigeria.
2Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria.
3Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
E-mail: imoesi.peter@yahoo.co.uk.
ABSTRACT
In recent times, research done on Carica papaya seeds has shown its nutritive and medicinal benefits without resort to possible side effect. However, studies have shown that the consumption of C. papaya seeds causes vascular contraction, infertility in female rats, reduced sperm counts, sperm cell degeneration and abortifacient properties. This study was designed to determine the enzyme assay level of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities in the serum of wistar rats fed with modified diet of C. papaya milled seeds to ascertain possible hepatic or myocardia defect. A total of 15 wistar rats were divided into two groups comprising of test (8) and control (7) respectively. The test group were fed with modified diet of edible black C. papaya seeds and the control group with grower’s marsh feed for a period of 9 weeks. The determination of aspartate aminotransferase activity showed the Mean ± SEM of aspartate aminotransferase activity in the serum of the test group as 0.38±0.03 and the control group 0.19±0.10 respectively. Subsequently, alanine aminotransferase activity from the obtained test and control groups showed the Mean ± SEM of alanine aminotransferase activity in the serum as 0.86±0.02 and 1.25±0.03 respectively. Furthermore, there is a significant (P<0.05) difference between the control and test group based on the level of aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activity in the serum. In summary, transaminases are usually used in the diagnosis of liver damage and myocardia infarction. Therefore, the increase level of aspartate and alanine aminotransferase in the serum of Wistar Strain albino rats may suggest possible damage of hepatocyte cardiac muscles associated with the consumption of diet modified fed with C. papaya seeds.