Darlington N Onyejike¹ , Ifeoma F Okwuonu², Nsikak M Umoh³, Peter O Ali¹, Emeka C Okafor¹

¹Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences,; ²Department of Human Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Anambra State,; ³Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.

For correspondence:-  Darlington Onyejike   Email: dn.onyejike@unizik.edu.ng   Tel:+234-8061131867

Received: 5 January 2026        Accepted: 10 August 2026        Published: 31 August 2026

Citation: Onyejike DN, Okwuonu IF, Umoh NM, Ali PO, Okafor EC. Effect of Odogwu Bitters on pancreatic health of healthy male Wistar rats. Trop J Pharm Res 2026; 25(8):1093-1101 doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v25i8.6

© 2026 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Odogwu Bitters on pancreatic health by assessing histopathological, enzymatic, hormonal, and morphometric parameters in healthy male Wistar rats. Methods: Twenty male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n = 5). The control group (A) received water, while study groups B, C, and D were administered 0.45, 0.75, and 1.05 mL of Odogwu Bitters daily for five weeks, respectively. Rat serum was analyzed for amylase, lipase, and insulin. Pancreatic tissue was processed for histology (H&E staining), and relative organ weight was calculated. Results: The herbal drink treatment induced a dose-dependent reduction in islet β-cell density, with moderate to severe depletion in groups B and C. Serum amylase and lipase were significantly elevated in the high-dose groups (C & D), while insulin levels were significantly reduced in group B. The relative pancreas weight was significantly lower in groups B and C. Altered feed and water intake and attenuated body weight gain were also observed. Conclusion: This study provides the first direct evidence that Odogwu Bitters induces pancreatic injury, manifesting as endocrine cell loss, exocrine enzyme elevation, and organ atrophy in Wistar rats. These findings identify the pancreas as a new target organ for its toxicity and provide grounds for further preclinical safety studies and caution regarding human consumption.

Keywords: Enzyme activity, Histopathology, Islet of Langerhans, Morphometry, Odogwu Bitters, Toxicity, Wistar Rats

Impact Factor
Thompson Reuters (ISI): 0.6 (2023)
H-5 index (Google Scholar): 49 (2023)