NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF PARQUETINA NIGRESCENS LEAF AND EFFECTS OF ITS AQUEOUS EXTRACT IN ALUMINIUM CHLORIDEINDUCED ANAEMIC RATS

Abstract

Parquetina nigrescens is a plant known for its various therapeutic uses in traditional medicine. Proximate, minerals, vitamins and secondary metabolites analysis of the leaf were evaluated using standard procedure. Extraction was done using distilled water. Acute toxicity to determine the LD50 of the plant extract was determined, thereafter thirty (30) male albino rats were divided into 6 groups of 5 animals. Group A was given distill water, while group B to F were administered AlCl3 at 2.0 mg/kg bodyweight to induce anaemia for 14 consecutive days. Animals in group A and B served as positive and negative controls respectively and therefore were not treated, while group C, D, E and F were administered 2.6 mg/kg bw of ferrous sulphate (FS), 200, 400 and 600 mg/ kg bw aqueous extract of P.nigrescens leaf respectively daily for another 14 days. All treatments were orally administered. Bodyweight and packed cell volume (PCV) were monitored at days 0, 14, 19, 24 and 28 to determine the bodyweight and the anaemic state of the animals respectively. Animals were anaesthetised, euthanised, and the blood samples were collected for haematological and biochemical parameters. The proximate composition showed that the leaf contains carbohydrate (46.68%), protein (21.02%), and ash (10.50%). The mineral analysis revealed the presence of Fe (13.50 mg/100g), Mn (3.95 mg/100g) and Cu (1.45 mg/100g). Vitamin C (7.35 mg/100g), vitamin E (2.25 mg/100g), vitamin B12 (2.42 mg/100g) and folate (2.03 mg/100g) were present. Phenols and flavonoids were significantly (P<0.05) high at 183.08 mg/100g and 180.24 mg/100g respectively. The extract was considered safe, since no mortality was recorded at the highest dosage of 5000 mg/kg body weight. Haematological analysis showed significant (P<0.05) increases in the mean Red Blood Cells (RBC), Haemogblobin (Hb), PCV, Mean Corpuscular Volume, Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration in the P.nigrescens leaf extract treatment groups. Group A had the highest PCV (41.75%) but this was not significantly (P<0.05) different from the PCV of 600 mg/kg extract treated group (39.75%). However, there were significant (P<0.05) variations with group B having the lowest Hb (4.57 g/dL) and RBC (3.79), compared with the 600 mg/kg extract treated group having Hb and RBC value of (14.57 g/dL) and (4.6) respectively. There were also significantly (P<0.05) increase in the serum protein, albumin, serum iron and ferritin in all the treatment groups when compared with the negative control group B. However, there was no significant (P<0.05) difference between the FS treatment group and the extract treatment groups. Also, White Blood Cells, serum Alanine transferase, Aspartate transferase and Alkaline phosphatase activities of the negative control group significantly (P<0.05) increased when compared with the extract and FS treated group. The highest anti-anaemic effect was observed in the group treated with 600 mg/kg. The result of this study suggests that aqueous extract of P.nigrescens improved the anaemic condition of the treated animals when compared with the induced but untreated groups. Hence, P.nigrescens could be beneficial in improving blood formation and in the management of anaemic related ailments.