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ONCOLOGY, NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND TRANSPLANTOLOGY
Original Article
Jul 17, 2026 3 1

Effect of Aqueous Extracts of Kigelia africana and Acacia nilotica on Selected Tumour Markers in Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Liver Cell Dysplasia in Wistar Rats

Julius Akomaye Aniah 1,
Bassey Atte Inyang 2 *
1 Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria2 Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria* Corresponding Author
Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Transplantology, 2(3), 2026, onmt023, https://doi.org/10.63946/onmt/18977
Publication date: Jul 17, 2026
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ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT
Background: Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) is a nitrosamine derivative with alkylating, carcinogenic, and mutagenic properties that causes major liver damage and acts as a hepatocarcinogen in rodents. Acacia nilotica and Kigelia africana are plants used in local communities to treat wounds and ulcers.
Objective: This study investigated the effect of aqueous extracts of Kigelia africana and Acacia nilotica on alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) levels in DEN-induced liver cell dysplasia in Wistar rats.
Methods: Forty (40) male Wistar rats, aged 6–8 weeks, were divided into eight (8) groups of five (5) animals each. Liver cell dysplasia was induced with a single intraperitoneal dose of DEN (100 mg/kg) and promoted with oral phenobarbitone (0.25 mg/kg) twice weekly, beginning one week after induction. Group I received clean drinking water; group II received DEN only; group III received DEN + phenobarbitone; groups IV and V received DEN + phenobarbitone + 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg of Acacia nilotica respectively; groups VI and VII received DEN + phenobarbitone + 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg of Kigelia africana respectively; and group VIII received DEN + phenobarbitone + 10 mg/kg of sorafenib. Blood samples were collected on day 120 for biomarker evaluation, and liver tissue was processed for histopathology.
Results: CEA and CA-125 differed significantly among groups (p < 0.001), although group means largely remained within the physiological reference range; AFP showed no significant difference (p = 0.580). The highest CEA values occurred in the DEN-only and DEN + phenobarbitone groups, while CA-125 was highest in the DEN-only and sorafenib-treated groups. Animals treated with the plant extracts, particularly at the higher dose (500 mg/kg), maintained CEA and CA-125 values close to those of the negative control. Histopathology showed dose-dependent attenuation of DEN-induced changes by both extracts, with the higher dose of Kigelia africana producing near-normal liver architecture.
Conclusion: Both extracts, especially at higher doses, appeared chemoprotective against DEN-induced hepatic changes, supporting further investigation of their underlying mechanisms.

KEYWORDS

Liver Dysplasia Carcinoembryonic Antigen Alpha-Fetoprotein Cancer Antigen 125 Diethylnitrosamine

CITATION (Vancouver)

Aniah JA, Inyang BA. Effect of Aqueous Extracts of Kigelia africana and Acacia nilotica on Selected Tumour Markers in Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Liver Cell Dysplasia in Wistar Rats. Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Transplantology. 2026;2(3):onmt023. https://doi.org/10.63946/onmt/18977
APA
Aniah, J. A., & Inyang, B. A. (2026). Effect of Aqueous Extracts of Kigelia africana and Acacia nilotica on Selected Tumour Markers in Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Liver Cell Dysplasia in Wistar Rats. Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Transplantology, 2(3), onmt023. https://doi.org/10.63946/onmt/18977
Harvard
Aniah, J. A., and Inyang, B. A. (2026). Effect of Aqueous Extracts of Kigelia africana and Acacia nilotica on Selected Tumour Markers in Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Liver Cell Dysplasia in Wistar Rats. Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Transplantology, 2(3), onmt023. https://doi.org/10.63946/onmt/18977
AMA
Aniah JA, Inyang BA. Effect of Aqueous Extracts of Kigelia africana and Acacia nilotica on Selected Tumour Markers in Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Liver Cell Dysplasia in Wistar Rats. Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Transplantology. 2026;2(3), onmt023. https://doi.org/10.63946/onmt/18977
Chicago
Aniah, Julius Akomaye, and Bassey Atte Inyang. "Effect of Aqueous Extracts of Kigelia africana and Acacia nilotica on Selected Tumour Markers in Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Liver Cell Dysplasia in Wistar Rats". Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Transplantology 2026 2 no. 3 (2026): onmt023. https://doi.org/10.63946/onmt/18977
MLA
Aniah, Julius Akomaye et al. "Effect of Aqueous Extracts of Kigelia africana and Acacia nilotica on Selected Tumour Markers in Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Liver Cell Dysplasia in Wistar Rats". Oncology, Nuclear Medicine and Transplantology, vol. 2, no. 3, 2026, onmt023. https://doi.org/10.63946/onmt/18977

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