Effects of Oral Administration of Aloe Vera Plus on the Heart and Kidney: A Subacute Toxicity Study in Rat Models
Keywords:
GNLD, Aloe vera Plus, Kidney, heart, ratsAbstract
Background: Aloe vera gel is one of several nutritional supplements gaining widespread popularity in Nigeria and many other countries of the world. Adverse effects of ingestion of low doses of Aloe vera are seldom reported. It has however, been associated with diarrhea, electrolyte imbalance, kidney dysfunction, and hepatitis. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of oral administration of GLND'S Aloe vera Plus on the kidneys and hearts of rats.
Methods: 80 apparently healthy, adult Wistar albino rats were divided into five groups, three of which were given three different doses of Aloe vera plus twice a day for 14, 28 and 42 days. The 4th group served as controls while the 5th was given Aloe vera plus for 28 days, following which the drug was withdrawn for another 28 days. The animals were sacrificed at the end of the experiment and the hearts and kidneys harvested for histopathological analysis.
Results: The results indicate that Aloe vera plus caused nephrotoxic changes, including chronic inflammatory cell infiltration, hyalinization, thickening of renal capillaries, tubular collapse and necrosis, and glomerular and interstitial fibrosis. It also caused cardiotoxic effects but not in a significant number of rats.
Conclusion: The nephrotoxic effects of aloe vera occurred more in the dose range recommended by the manufacturers and least with the highest dose and longest duration of treatment. We recommend that this nutritional supplement be subjected to the same regulatory standards as pharmacotherapeutic agents
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