Project Materials

EFFECT OF TELFERIA OCCIDENTALIS AND VERNONIA AMYGDALINA ON ELECTROLYTES (CALCIUM, POTASSIUM, SODIUM AND CHLORIDE) ON BRAIN AND HEART IN HIGH SUCROSE DIET FED RATS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

The Background of the Study 

In today’s world, eating a diet rich in sucrose has become more and more common, mostly because sugary processed foods and drinks are so widely accessible.

On the other hand, consuming too much sucrose has been connected to a number of detrimental health outcomes, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and neurological conditions (1,2).

The disturbance of electrolyte balance in critical organs like the heart and brain is one of the fundamental processes causing these disease disorders.

Calcium, potassium, sodium, and chloride are examples of electrolytes that are essential for preserving the physiological processes of cells and tissues. For example, calcium has a role in muscular contraction, neurotransmission, and enzyme activity regulation (3).

Maintaining the electrical excitability of cells, such as neurones and cardiomyocytes, requires potassium (4). Osmotic equilibrium, cell volume regulation, and electrical potential across cell membranes are all dependent on sodium and chloride (5,6). Any change in these electrolyte levels has the potential to cause cellular malfunction and aid in the onset of a number of illnesses.

The potential therapeutic benefits of herbal plants and their capacity to correct physiological imbalances have long been acknowledged.

Two such plants, Vernonia amygdalina (also known as “Bitter leaf”) and Telferia occidentalis (also called “Ugu” in Nigeria), are frequently utilised in traditional medicine due to their nutritional and therapeutic qualities. Bioactive substances such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals are abundant in these plants (7,8).

Their hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory qualities have all been shown in studies (9, 10). However, little research has been done on how they affect electrolyte balance, especially when a high-sucrose diet is included.

Since the brain and heart are extremely vulnerable to metabolic disruptions and are vital to general health and wellbeing, it is crucial to comprehend the possible advantages of Telferia occidentalis and Vernonia amygdalina in re-establishing electrolyte homeostasis in these organs.

According to earlier research, diets high in sugar can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, insulin resistance, and cellular damage in these organs (11, 12).

Thus, investigating how herbal supplements affect the electrolyte balance in the heart and brain can reveal important information about their possible defences against damage caused by sugar.

The purpose of this study is to examine how Vernonia amygdalina and Telferia occidentalis affect the levels of electrolytes, particularly calcium, potassium, sodium, and chloride, in the heart and brain tissues of rats given a diet high in sucrose.

Knowing how these herbal supplements affect electrolyte homeostasis will help us better understand how they might be used therapeutically to avoid or lessen the negative effects of consuming too much sugar.

In rats given a high-sucrose diet, the study’s premise is that supplementing with Vernonia amygdalina and Telferia occidentalis will restore electrolyte balance in the brain and heart tissues, lowering the risk of cellular dysfunction and associated pathological diseases.

The results of this study can offer important new information on the possible dietary interventions of Vernonia amygdalina and Telferia occidentalis for those who are already or may soon develop metabolic disorders linked to a high-sucrose diet.

Additionally, by comprehending the fundamental processes by which these herbal plants influence electrolyte balance, new therapeutic strategies that target metabolic diseases and related organ dysfunctions may be developed.

In conclusion, examining how Vernonia amygdalina and Telferia occidentalis affect electrolyte levels in the brain and heart tissues of rats given a high-sucrose diet is crucial for determining the possible defence mechanisms of