INVESTIGATION ON THE COUNTERACTING EFFECT OF SPIRULINA AGAINST POTENTATED SULFONAMIDE’S (COTRIM DS®) SIDE EFFECTS IN RAT

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to investigate the counteracting effects of spirulina in Long Evans rats exposed to oral potentiated sulfonamide administration. 20 rats were randomly assigned into four equal groups (A, B, C and D) and were fed with standard broiler pellet (25g/rat/day) throughout the experimental period of 60 days. Rats of Group A were fed only with pellet without any experimental diet and were defined as control. Rats  of Group B were treated with potentiated sulfonamide @ 96 mg/rat/day orally whereas Group C was treated with potentiated sulfonamide @ 96 mg/rat/day plus spirulina (Spirulina maxima) @ 50 mg/rat/day orally (low dose spirulina). In Group D, potentiated sulfonamide and spirulina (Spirulina maxima) were given through feed @ 96 mg/rat/day and @ 100 mg/rat/day (high dose spirulina) respectively. Hematological parameters (TEC, Hb and absolute count of lymphocyte, neutrophil and eosinophil) and hispathological profile of liver and kidney were recorded. The investigation revealed that the oral administration of sulfonamide significantly (p<0.01) decreased the TEC (5.93±0.24) value, number of lymphocyte (581.76±3.70) and neutrophil (581.76±3.70) compared to other treated groups and control group. On the other hand significant (p<0.01) increase (422.86±2.34) in eosinophil population has been found in rats fed on sulfonamide irrespective of spirulina supplementation on the final day of experiment compared to other treated group and control group. From this experiment it is evidenced that spirulina has a potential counteracting effect against sulfonamide. Histopathology of kidney and liver was done at the end of experiment (60 days) and no significant change was found except in the kidney of Group B and C.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjvm.v10i1-2.15650