NEPHROPROTECTIVE ACTIVITYOF ACORUS CALAMUS LEAVES EXTRACT AGAINST LITHIUM INDUCED NEPHROTOXICITY IN WISTAR RATS

Acorus calamus is a tall perennial herb. It is a wetland monocot of the Acoraceae family, in the genus Acorus.It is also called sweet flag or calamus. Sweet Sedge is 30 to 100 cm tall. Tufts of basal leaves arises from a spreading rhizome. Calamus is used as sedative, diuretic, laxative and as a carminative agent in modern herbal science medicines. Its use in siddha and ayurvedi c medicine is also reported where in stems, leaves, roots, barks plays magnificent role. Few uses approved for calamus is as a flavour for pipe tobacco from the rhizome essence and is also used as essential oil in perfume industry. The objective of present study is to evaluate the nephroprotective activity of ethanolic extract of leaves of Acorus calamus at the dose of 500mg/kg body weight in wistar rats and to carry out phytochemical screening of leaves extract, measure serum urea, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), albumin and uric acid.And to describe the histopathological status of kidneys in the treated and untreated groups. Nephroprotective activity was evaluated against lithium chloride induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Phytochemical screening of the extract was done. 24 Animals were divided into 4 groups each containing 6 rats. Group I received normal saline 5ml/kg for 5 weeks. Group II is treated with nephrotoxicant i.e., 1ml/kg of 15% Licl solution for 1 week + tap water for 1 week + 7% Licl for 2 weeks + tap water for 1 week. Group III is fed with toxicant (Licl solution as above) for 5 weeks &A.calamus leaves extract 500mg/kg for 5 weeks which is considered as test .Group IV is given toxicant as in case of group II with standard drug named Cystone 5ml/kg for 5 weeks. Samples of kidney tissue were removed for histopathological examination. Screening of Acorus calamus showed the presence of nephroprotective phytochemicals. Ethanolic extract of leaves produced significant nephroprotective activity in lithium chloride induced nephrotoxicity which was evident by decreased levels of serum urea, creatinine, BUN and uric acid. Acorus calamus contains nephroprotective phytochemicals and may be useful in preventing kidney damage induced by Licl. Key Words: Acorus calamus; lithium chloride; nephroprotective activity