ANTITUMOUR ACTIVITY OF Ganoderma mbrekobenum ON MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE INDUCED UTERINE TUMOUR IN WISTAR RATS (Rattus norvegicus)

Ganoderma species is widely reported to be anticancer and antitumour but there seems to be no report on indigenous species against uterine tumours. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) has been shown to induce uterine tumours in high concentrations. Antitumour effect of the water extract of a Ganoderma species on Wistar rats given MSG was conducted. Wistar rats were fed with monosodium glutamate (MSG) to induce uterine tumour in the animals and were treated with water extract of the Ganoderma mbrekobenum. Heamatological, biochemical, histopathological examinations and acute toxicity test (LD50) were done on the animals. The heart and liver in groups fed with MSG had significant increase in weight but the groups treated with G. mbrekobenum reduced in weight. The MSG-treated group showed indications of anaemia and toxicity in the animals. Renal functions and lipid profiles of the rats were fairly altered while the hepatic functions were significantly (p< 0.05) altered. Also, the amount of estrogen in the rats was elevated. Animals exposed to G. mbrekobenum showed signs of recovery from the effects of MSG in the rats. The acute toxicity test showed no fatalities among the animals and the extract of the G. mbrekobenum was notably lowered the levels of estrogen in the rats. The histological experiment revealed the presence of growths/cysts in the uterine tissues of rats fed with MSG alone, whereas the rats treated with G. mbrekobenum (800mg/kg/body weight) exhibited no histopathological alterations. These findings indicate that the G. mbrekobenum could prevent and control uterine tumour in Wistar rats.