Effect of short term ingestion ofTelfaria occidentalis (fluted pumpkin) on the liver

Four groups of female mice (18–22g) were fed for at least 10 days on a control diet or diets with addedTelfaria occidentalis (10% w/w) vegetables. Group 1 were the control animals. Group 2 were fed the vegetable diet alone. Group 3 were fed the control diet and injected with aflatoxin B₁(AFB₁, 0.35 mg/kg/day) in the last 3 days. Group 4 were fed with the vegetable diet and similarly treated for 3 days with AFB₁. No effects attributable to treatment were encountered in body weight, food intake, water intake and relative liver weight (g/100 g body weight). Decreases (17–40%) in PB sleeping time in the vegetable fed animals were not significant (P>0.05) in comparison to the control. Microsomal proteins increased by 2 fold in group 2 but were apparently normal in groups 3 and 4. In group 2 the activities of liver microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase and NADH-cytochrome c reductase increased but those of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase and aniline hydroxylase decreased. Increases were observed in the activities of all of these enzymes in groups 3 and 4. The highest increases were observed in glucose-6-phosphatase activity in mice fed the vegetables and also injected with AFB₁.