Abstract

As a general trend, a change in cell activity and morphology is usually depicted as biochemical differentiation occurring structural differentiation, cell migration and even cell death. In cassava induced neurotoxicity, several substance has been identified to be naturally occurring in cassava and Cyanogenic glycosides or other phytotoxins which has been found to have neurotoxic effects; Scopoletin, afflatoxin and CYANIDE as described by Osuntokun (1981) and Ernesto et al. (2002). These substances elicit toxicity by accumulation over a period of time, or exposure to high concentrations from environmental contamination of water, food substance and sometimes occupational exposure. Cassava has been found to be neurotoxic as its cyanide component is capable of inducing oxidative stress by blocking cytochrome c oxidase (CcOX) and inhibition of other metalloenzymes. In this study we investigated the profile of acid phosphates (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the brain tissue of adult wistar rats treated with varying dose of cassava diet for a period of 60 days. ACP serves as a biochemical marker for lysosomal activity while ALP indicates membrane transport and integrity in the neuronal architecture. The brain tissue were excised and homogenized in 0.25 M sucrose (Sigma: β-D-Fructofuranosyl-α-D-Glycopyranoside) and centrifuged in Multifuge 3SR+ by ThermoScientific. The supernatant was obtained and assayed for ACP and ALP change in optical density per minute.

Key words: Alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, neurodegeneration, membrane, lysosomes, cassava, cyanide, cytochrome c oxidase.