Effects of <i>Sorghum bicolor</i>, <i>Carica papaya</i> and <i>Hibiscus sabdariffa</i> leaves extracts on some haematological indices of cyclophosphamide-induced anaemic albino rats

Abstract

Background: Medicinal plants and herbs are one of the crucial components as far as the contribution of biodiversity to society is concerned Objective: The Effects of Sorghum bicolor, Carica papaya and Hibiscus sabdariffa leaves extracts on some of Cyclophosphamide-Induced anaemic Albino rats were investigated.

Methods: Aqueous extracts of 500 g of each of the pulverized leaves was obtained. Forty non-drug treatment adult male albino rats were randomly allotted to 8 groups of five rats each based on body weight with differences in weight did not exceeding 5g. Anaemia was induced in the rats using cyclophosphamide and 2ml of the blood sample was collected from the retro-bulba plexus of the median canthus of the eye of the rat for biochemical analysis. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Duncan Studentised New Multiple Range Test were used to separate and compare means. The differences in means were considered significant at 5% probability.

Results: The group treated with 400mg/kg body weight Carica papaya had the highest (106.43%) increase in packed cell volume and 88.70% haemoglobin concentration. The group treated with 800mg/kg body weight Hibiscus sabdariffa had the highest (107.24%) increase in red blood cell count. There was moderate decrease in the white blood cell (WBC) count of the rats. The group treated with 400mg/kg body weight Hibiscus sabdariffa had the highest decrease (41.77%) in WBC. Dosage of 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 and 5000mg of the extracts had no fatal effect on the rats.

Conclusion: The Sorghum bicolor, Carica papaya and Hibiscus sabdariffa leaf extracts would be beneficial in boosting blood volume and presents alternative to high cost management of nutritional anaemia.

Keywords: Sorghum bicolor, Carica papaya, Hibiscus sabdariffa, anaemia