International
Journal of Herbs and Pharmacological Research IJHPR,
2013, 2(2): 20 – 27.
RESEARCH
PAPER:
THE
EFFECT OF TOBACCO SNUFF CONSUMPTION ON LIVER ENZYMES
1Ugbor C.I., 1Okogun G.R.A., 1Okonkwo L.O., 2Eze N.C., 2Asogwa B.E., 3Ebo J.O.,
3Maduagwuna G.N., 2Ekoh S.N.
Department of 1Medical Laboratory Science,
Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma-Nigeria. 2Chemical Pathology, Medical
Laboratory Science, Enugu state university teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu,
Nigeria. 3Chemical Pathology, Irrua Specilist Teaching
Hospital, Irrua Edo State, Nigeria.
Corresponding
Author: i.chimaresearch2@gmail.com
Received: 7th February,
2013 Accepted: 21st April, 2013 Published: 31st April, 2013
ABSTRACT
This study was designed to investigate the
changes in liver biochemical profile following oral tobacco dust ingestion.
Adult Wistar rats (42) weighing 150-300g were involved. They were divided into
four groups; group A serving as control, while groups B, C and D served as the
test groups. The test groups were further divided into four groups (B1, C1, D1;
B2, C2, D2; B3, C3, D3; and B4, C4, D4) representing four experimental
phases/duration of 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks respectively. The rats were fed with
varying doses of tobacco dust mixed with potash. At the end of each phase, the
animals were sacrificed and blood sample collected into lithium heparin and
EDTA containers. Liver parameters (AST, ALT, ALP and GGT) were assayed and the
results obtained showed statistically significant impairment of liver function.
There was significant increase (p<0.05) in serum AST, ALT, and GGT levels in
the different phases when the test groups were compared with the control.
However, ALP shows no statistically significant increase in all the groups
throughout the experiment. The results of this study suggest that
potash-tobacco dust (local tobacco snuff) is toxic to the liver and the
observed changes were dose and duration dependent.
Keywords:
tobacco, potash, liver function, liver enzymes.
__________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
For years man has used drugs for recreational
purposes as long as history itself. Arabic traders smoked opium in the 3rd
century BC, and the Aztecs enjoyed the effects of hallucinogenic mushrooms at a
similar time. In the last 30 years, the number of people using recreational
drugs and other addictives appears to have increased (Strang, 1995). By 1997,
25% of the population is reported using illicit drugs and other addictives at
some point in their lives (Crowe et al., 2000). Example of some of these recreational
drugs includes heroin, cocaine, marijuana, cigarette, and tobacco snuff which
are sniffed, smoked or even eaten with numerous health consequences. But of
interest in this study is tobacco snuff (tobacco dust and potash). Tobacco
botanically known as Nicotiana tabacum is a perennial herbaceous plant and it is the most commonly grown
of all plants in the Nicotiana genus. Its leaves are commercially grown in many
countries and it grows to heights between 1 to 2 metre to be processed into
tobacco products (Ren and Timko, 2001). Tobacco is known and used throughout
all quarters of the globe in two major forms: the smoked and the smokeless. Smokeless
tobacco comes in two different forms, which are ‘Tobacco snuff’ and ‘Chewing
tobacco’ (Aduema et al., 2012). Tobacco snuff is
the powdered form blended with potash as the main additive in Nigeria (Ureme et
al., 2007) and has been
recommended as a substitution for nicotine in cigarette since it is devoid of
hazardous elements such as tar and carbon monoxide (Russel et
al, 1980). For this reason,
many people believe that using smokeless tobacco is
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ASN-PH-020919
ISSN:
2315-537X
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