Preliminary Physico-chemical Properties of Bombacopsis buonopogense Seed Oil and Its Effects on Liver Mitochondrial Membrane Permeability Transition Pore Opening and Liver Function of Female Albino Rats, In Vivo

The seed oil of Bombacopsis buonopogense was extracted in hexane using Soxhlet method and analyzed for physico-chemical parameters and composition following AOACS standards and using GCMS and FTIR. 18 rats were selected into 3 groups of 6 rats each: control (tap water) and test groups (7ml/kg and 14ml/kg seed oil) for 28 days. At the end of the experiment, they were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and the livers processed for mitochondrial isolation. Mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening was measured spectrophotometrically (540nm). Sera were prepared for liver function tests using kits. The seed oil had high acid, saponification, peroxide and iodine values, but low percentage free fatty acid value (PFAE) (4.8KOH/g, 271.4KOH/g, 4.5Meq/kg, 23.62 Hanus; 0.2% PFAE, respectively). GCMS revealed 39 triacylglycerols with glycerol 1-palmitate having the highest percentage area (15.77%) and cis -13,16-docasadienoic acid methyl ester having the highest retention time (45.38 minutes). FTIR revealed 10 functional groups: alcohols (-OH, 2922.2cm -1 ; C-O, 1114.5 cm -1 ), ester (C-O, 2853.3cm -1 ), aldehyde (C=O, 1742.5 cm -1 ), alkanes (-C-H, 1459.3cm -1 ; 1377.3 cm -1 ), amines (C-N, 1235.6 cm -1 ; 1159.2 cm -1 ), alkylhalide (C-Cl, 721.2 cm -1 ; C-Br, 589.1 cm -1 ). Compared to control, the oil significantly opened liver MPTP at 7ml/kg in the absence of 20µM CaCl 2 (-0.056±0.022 * vs -0.007±0.003), but slightly inhibited same in its presence (-0.014±0.006 vs -0.019±0.008). ALT, AST and TB levels decreased (5.20±1.04U/L * vs 14.08±0.32U/L; 20.08±4.08U/L * vs 26.43±1.58U/L and 0.76±0.08mg/dL vs 0.78±0.00mg/dL), while DB and TAG levels increased (0.80±0.24mg/dL * vs 0.40±0.00mg/dL and 2.31±0.04mmol/L * vs 2.07±0.04mmol/L). At 14ml/kg, however, the oil did not significantly open MPTP in the absence of CaCl 2 (-0.016±0.007), but slightly opened same in its presence (-0.101±0.029 * ). ALT and DB levels increased (17.39±2.14U/L * ; 0.71±0.04mg/dL * ), while AST, TB and TAG levels decreased (20.11±2.14U/L; 0.72±0.04mg/dL and 0.11±0.02mmol/L * ). The results show the seed oil is capable of causing liver damage and need processing if to be consumed.