Effect of Clerodendron colebrookianum Walp. aqueous leaf extract on liver oxidative stress and the immune system of mice exposed to cold restraint stress

To investigate the effect of Clerodendron colebrookianum aqueous leaf extract on oxidative parameters in liver and the immune system of mice exposed to cold restraint stress (CRS). Three groups of mice were employed namely control, CRS and C. colebrookianum leaf extract+CRS. Mice were restraint by keeping them in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe restrainers and were exposed to cold at 4°C for 5 consecutive days (3 hrs/day). CRS mice received extract (100 mg/kg b.w.) orally for 12 days (7 days prior to stress and 5 days during stress treatment). For oxidative parameters, experiments such as catalase activity, lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione level, superoxide dismutase activity in liver tissue were performed and splenocyte count, blood lymphocyte subsets count, hemagglutination antibody titre, bone marrow megakaryocyte count, bleeding time, phagocytic index were analysed for immune system study. The above studied parameters were significantly altered in CRS group of mice compared to the control group. The CRS induced liver oxidative changes and immune changes were significantly ameliorated by pre-treatment with aqueous leaf extract. The results indicate that C. colebrookianum aqueous leaf extract exert protective effects against oxidative stress in liver and immune changes under CRS in mice which may be responsible for its anti-stress property.