ABSTRACT
Anemia is a serious health problem especially in developing countries. In the tropics, rural dwellers had resort to herbal treatment in some cases of anemia. The main aim of this work was to ascertain the role of n-butanol leaf fraction of Telfairia Occidentalis on some haematological parameters in phenyl hydrazine induced anemia in wistar rats. Thirty (30) adult Wistar rats were used for this study. All animals were assayed for haematological parameters 1day before the onset of the experiment. The animals were grouped into five groups of five rats each (n =5). Anemia was induced in the Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injection of Phenyl hydrazine Hydrochloride 50mg/kg w/w in DSMO once daily for 3 days. Group i. serves as the negative control group, received 50mg/kg of Phenylhydrazine Hydrochloride and 1ml/kg normal saline (untreated) group ii. serve as Positive control group received Vitamin B12 0.4ml/kg (standard haematinic) intramuscularly,while group iii, iv. and v. received 100mg/kg, 200mg/kg and 300mg/kg body weight of n-butanol leaf fraction of Telfairia occidentalis for 2 weeks respectively. Asessment of RBC and WBC was carried out using the newly improved Neubauer counting chamber, PCV using the microhaematocrit reader, Hb using the AO-Hb meter and Bilirubin concentration using colorimetric estimation for the serum bilirubin. There was a significant (P<0.05) increase in the level of RBC, PCV, HB and Bilirubin concentration after treatment with the fraction as compared to the control groups respectively. RBC (5.30�0.0217 x106/?L as compared to 4.78�0.17x106/?L), PCV (50.60�0.51% as compared to 37.08�0.37%), HB (16.84�0.18 g/dl as compared to 12.56�0.13 g/dl), WBC (6.10�0.15 x109/L as compared to 6.17�0.88x109/L) and Bilirubin (18.16�0.08a ?mol/L as compared to 15.54�0.21 ?mol/L). However, the significant increase obtained from the results of RBC ,PCV and Bilurubin was not dose dependent while that of HB and WBC was dose dependent. In conclusion, Intraperitoneal administration of 50mg/kg Phenylhydrazine hydrochloride for 3days decreases the blood parameters below the pre-anemic level (1day before induction) due to the production of reactive oxygen species. Phytochemical screening of this leaf fraction indicates the presence of flavonoids, saponin secoiridoid glycosides and alkaloids, these natural antioxidants could be responsible for reversing the damaging effect of PHZ and thus playing a modulatory role and also maintaining the integrity of the RBC.