Anti-Tumorigenic Activities of Diodia Sarmentosa Leaf Extract on Diethyl Lnitrosamine-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Wistar Rats

This study is an integral part of the search for an alternative pharmacognostic solution for hepatocellular carcinoma. This is the first in vivo study on the anti-cancer activities of Diodia sarmentosa leaves. Therefore, it reveals the possibility of incorporating the leaf extracts into existing natural remedies or its application as a stand-alone therapy. It evaluated the biochemical, antioxidant, and anti-tumour potentials of the Diodia sarmentosa leaf extract on diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in adult albino wistar rats. Liver cancer was successfully induced in the experimental animals through oral administration of diethylnitrosamine (20 mg/kg body weight) dissolved in normal saline (0.9%), 5 times a week for 6 weeks. Biochemical and histopathological evaluations were made to determine the impact of diethylnitrosamine in the serum and on the tissues of the adult wistar rats. In the treated group, significant (P<0.05) improvements were recorded in the serum levels of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, vitamin C, glutathione, and total antioxidant capacity compared to the positive control. In the positive control, serum levels of the electrolytes (Na+, Cl-, K+, and HCO3-), gamma-glutamyl transferase, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly (P<0.05) altered compared to the normal control. The photomicrographs of the treated group show diffused necrosis and atrophy of tumour nodules, with one-cell-thick hepatocellular plates separated by sinusoids with a normal nucleus. The development of liver cancer in the experimental animals affected not only the liver but also the kidney. These are evidenced by the significant alterations in some biochemical parameters associated with kidney damage and/or disease. Through this study Diodia sarmentosa leaf extract shows evidence-based assertions as an anti-cancer agent and can be useful in the search for a natural and more effective remedy for cancer.