The Effects of Aqueous Leaf Extract of Tridax Procumbens on the Haematological and Serum Biochemical Parameters of Wistar Albino Rats
Abstract
The effects of different doses of aqueous leaf extract of Tridax procumbens were evaluated in Wistar albino rats. The leaf extract of T. procumbens was administered orally for 14 days. Changes in the haematological and serum biochemical parameters were observed as indices of toxicity of the extract. The 100 and 400 mg/kg doses of the leaf extract of T. procumbens caused significant (P<0.05) decrease in the levels of the packed cell volume (PCV) (21.5±2.5 versus 37.3±1.5), and (20*±1.5 versus 37.3±1.5)%, respectively. The 100 and 400 mg/kg doses also significantly reduced haemoglobin concentration (Hb), (7.1*±2.4 versus 12±0.4)g/dl and (6.4*±12 versus 12±0.4)g/dl, respectively and red blood cell counts (RBC) (1.82*±0.11 versus 5.7±0.4) and (2.7±5.7 versus 5.7±0.4) respectively. These changes are reflected in the significant increase in the mean corpuscular volume for rats in the 100 and 400 mg/kg, suggesting that the aqueous crude extract of T. procumbens adversely affected the erythron of rats and may cause a normocytic normochromic anaemia in the animals consuming them. This study also revealed that the extract caused statistically significant (P<0.05) decrease in the level of circulating lymphocyte but significant (P<0.05) increase in the level of circulating neutrophil (41*±2.6 versus 25.7±3.9) at the doses of 400mg/kg b.w treatment group. The lymphopaenia (i.e. reduction in lymphocyte count) observed may indicate immunosuppression and the neutrophilia observed may imply inflammatory reactions and defense against microbial infections. The aqueous crude extract of T. procumbens leaf also caused a statistically significant (P<0.05) increase in the level of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (2.81*±4.1 versus 30.3±14) and (27.8*±6 versus 220.3±14) respectively at two different dosages, i.e., at 100 and 400 mg/kg b.w. The elevation observed in the serum AST values may indicate haemolysis, which implies that the aqueous extract of T. procumbens caused anaemia in Wistar Albino rats and therefore has toxic potential.
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