Effects of Aqueous Leaf Extract of Murraya Koenigii on Copper Sulfate-induced Kidney Damage in Adult Wistar Rats

Copper sulfate-induced kidney damage involves renal dysfunction, inflammatory response, etc. Murraya koenigii is counted among the plants that can be used to treat kidney problems, arthritis, pain and fever. This research aimed in evaluating the potential effects of Murraya koenigii on copper sulfate-induced kidney damage of adult wistar rats. Adult Rats (n=30), with an average weight of 167g were randomly assigned into 5 test (n=5) and control (n=5) groups. Rats in groups B-F were given 100mg/kg of copper sulfate, extract of 250mg/kg, 1000mg/kg, 100mg/kg of copper sulfate + 250mg/kg of extract and 100mg/kg of copper sulfate + 1000mg/kg of extract daily for twenty-eight days respectively, through the orogastric tube, control group received food and water. Rats were sacrificed by anesthetizing them with chloroform for two minutes and sacrificed on day 29, a midline incision was made through the ventral abdominal wall of each rat. The Kidneys were harvested, fixed in 10% formal-saline for histological analysis. The blood sample were placed in heparin vials for renal function analysis. Findings indicated that the kidney in the test groups showed changes of the renal cortical structure in the copper sulfate treated group and showed no changes in the extract treated group as compared to the control group. There was a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in weights of the test kidney treated with copper sulfate and significant increase on the urea and creatinine levels of the copper sulfate treated group and no significant difference on the groups treated with M. koenigii as compared to the control group. Murraya koenigii has a strong protective effect in the restoration of renal tubules and glomeruli and that it could be a natural agent for treating copper sulfateinduced kidney damage.