The impact of water-based extracts from Mangifera indica stem bark, sourced from both crude oil-contaminated and uncontaminated environments, on various enzymes crucial to cellular metabolism in wistar albino rats

Abstract

Crude oil and petroleum, classified as fossil fuels, come from the decayed remains of prehistoric marine life, like diatoms, which were transformed by heat and pressure over millennia into what's known as "rock oil" or "earth oil." Found in liquid or gas within underground rocks or surface oil sands, these substances form the basis for petroleum products, which can also be derived from coal, natural gas, and biomass. Nigeria's oil industry started with a find in 1956 in Bayelsa State, making it a key player with substantial reserves afnd production rates. However, the sector faces severe environmental challenges, with frequent oil spills from pipelines across farmlands, often due to neglect or sabotage. In areas like Ogoniland, these spills remain largely unaddressed. Additionally, there are health concerns over the local practice of using plants contaminated with crude oil in traditional medicine, prompting both national and global scrutiny. This research was designed to explore how aqueous extracts from Mangifera indica stem bark, sourced from environments with and without crude oil contamination, affect certain enzymes in female Wistar albino rats. Eighty rats, each weighing approximately 155 grams, participated in the study. The contaminated bark extract was gathered from an oil spill location in Umuechem, a community in Ikwere Local Government Area of Rivers State, whereas the uncontaminated extract came from the University of Benin. The rats were split into five groups: Group I was the control group; Groups II and III were treated with 250 mg/kg and 3500 mg/kg of the contaminated extract, respectively; and Groups IV and V received the same dosages but with the uncontaminated extract. The study ran for 90 days. This study revealed that rats in groups II, III, and V, dosed with aqueous extracts from both contaminated (C) and uncontaminated (F) Mangifera indica stem bark, had significantly elevated levels of Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH) and Creatine Kinase (CK) compared to the control group (p