TABLES OF CONTENT 

TITLE PAGE 

i CERTIFICATION

ii DEDICATION

iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

IV TABLES OF  CONTENT

V ABSTRACT

VI CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 LITERATURE REVIEW

1.2 THE LIVER 

1.2.1 CARBON TETRACHLORIDE 

1.3.0 LIVER FUNCTION TEST

1.3.1 TOTAL CHOLESTEROL

1.3.6 FUNCTIONS OF THE LIVER

1.6.0 LIPID PEROXIDATION

1.8.2 BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF DENNETIA TRIPETALA

1.8.3 COMMERCIAL / ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF DENNETTIA TRIPETALA

1.8.4 PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF DENNETTIA TRIPETALA

1.8.4.1 PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF DENNETTIA TRIPETALA

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS

2.4.1 PREPARATION OF PLANT EXTRACTS

2.5.0 BIOCHEMICAL ESTIMATION

2.5.1 TOTAL CHOLESTEROL

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 EFFECT OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF D. tripetala ON CCl4 INDUCED TOXICITY

3.1  EFFECTOF  ETHANOL  EXTRACT  OF  D.  tripetala  ON  CCl4 INDUCED TOXICITY

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION

REFERENCE

vii  APPENDIX 

ABSTRACT 

The  human body  is  exposed  to  various  xenobiotic  and  toxins  that  generate  free  radicals  that brings  adverse  effects  on  the  innate  system  of  an  organism.  Carbon  tetrachloride  (CCl4)  and acetaminophen  is  an  example  of  xenobiotic  that  generate  free  radicals  which  are  of  negative effect at high concentration. Certain organs are  exposed to free radicals  e.g. kidney, liver the chief organ of metabolism and synthetic centre of proteins as albumin is exclusively synthesised in  the  liver.  The  kidney  is  also  prone  to  effects  of  free  radicals  as  it  is  responsible  for  the excretion of the detoxified product of liver metabolism. This research was aimed to investigate the effects of aqueous and ethanolic extract of Dennettia tripetala on cholesterol levels of rats exposed  to  carbon  tetrachloride.  The  rats  were  divided  into  six  (6)  groups  namely:  Group  A (normal  control):  Group  B,  C,  D,  E  were  given  aqueous  extract  of    Dennettia  tripetala  (250 mg/kg body weight, 500 mg/kg body weight, 1000 mg/kg body weight and 1000 mg/kg body weight  respectively)  for  fourteen  (14)  days    prior  to  carbon  tetrachloride  challenge.  Rats  in Group F were carbon tetrachloride –treated control rats. 3ml/kg of 1:1 carbon tetrachloride: olive oil preparation was administered orally following an overnight fast to animals in Group B, C, D, F  on  day  fourteen  (14)  of  the  study.  The  results  obtained  revealed  that  carbon  tetrachloride caused a slight decrease (p> 0.05) in cholesterol levels in the serum, liver and brain. There was no  significant  increase  (p>  0.05)  in  cholesterol  levels  in  the  brain  only  following  CCl4 administration. Treatment with aqueous extract of  Dennettia tripetala with the aqueous extract of    Dennettia  tripetala  provided  a  slight  degree  of  protection    from  the  CCl4  –induced aberrations