<i>In vitro</i> methaemoglobin reducing potential of crude methanolic extract and fractions of <i>Sterculiasetigera</i> leaf on human sickled red blood cells

Abstract

Sickle cell anaemia is a hereditary disease affecting the red blood cells as a result of acquisition of a mutant β-globin gene, one from each parent. One of the pathophysiology of sickle cell anaemia is abnormally high concentration of methaemoglobin in the circulating red blood cells. Treatments for sickle cell anaemia are complex and expensive, Hence, cheap alternative remedies have to be identified. This study evaluated the percentage methaemoglobin concentration of sodium metabisulphite sickled erythrocytes in the presence of methanolic extract and fractions of Sterculia setigera leaf at concentrations of 0.2mg/ml, 0.4mg/ml, 0.6mg/ml, 0.8mg/ml, and 1mg/ml which showed that a significant (p<0.05) difference existed between the methanolic extract and fractions except for n hexane and butanolic fractions and the control. The results obtained from this study show the capacity of Sterculia setigera in preventing haemoglobin oxidation to form methaemoglobin, hense its usefulness in the management of sickle cell anaemia by some traditional doctors in northern Nigeria.

Keywords: Methaemoglobin, Sterculiasetigera, Anaemia, Pathophysiology, Haemoglobin S.