Hematological effect of Mucuna pruriens, Justicia carnea and their combination on phenylhydrazine-induced anemia in rat
Onuabuchi Nnenna Ani1, Chikezie Kenneth Ogbu1, Cosmas Ezekaibeya Achikanu1, Job Ude Uka21Department of Applied Biochemistry, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Agbani, Nigeria2Department of Industrial Chemistry, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Agbani, Nigeria
INTRODUCTION: Anemia, a widespread public health concern, affects millions globally, particularly in developing countries.
Traditional medicinal plants, including Mucuna pruriens and Justicia carnea, have been used to manage anemia due to their potential hematopoietic and antioxidant properties. This study investigated the hematological effects of Mucuna pruriens, Justicia carnea, and their combination on phenylhydrazine-induced anemia in rats, aiming to provide insight into their therapeutic potential.
METHODS: The acute oral toxicity test (LD50) was conducted using the Up-and-Down procedure. Anemia was induced
in all rats, excluding the normal control group, via a single-dose intraperitoneal injection of 80 mg/kg phenylhydrazine. Thirty (30) adult male albino rats were assigned into six (6) groups of five (5) rats, consisting of the normal control, anemic control, and treated groups (standard drug—Astyfer 1.5 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg of ethanol leaf extracts of Mucuna pruriens, Justicia carnea, and their combined leaf extracts). Treatment was given orally once per day and lasted for 21 days. Blood samples were collected two weeks into treatment and three weeks after treatment. Hematological parameters were determined using standard biochemical methods. The parameters analyzed were hemoglobin (HB), packed cell volume (PCV), and red blood cell count (RBC).
RESULTS: The LD50 results revealed no mortality or signs of toxicity at doses up to 5000 mg/kg body weight. The findings of this study revealed that, two weeks into treatment, all treatment groups showed a significant increase (p<0.05)
in their HB, PCV, and RBC levels compared with the anemic control. At the end of the treatment (three weeks), the HB of groups treated with 200 mg/kg Justicia carnea and the combined extract were significantly higher (p<0.05) than in the other groups.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The combination of Mucuna pruriens and Justicia carnea offered a modest additional benefit, although the
improvement was not substantially greater than the individual effects of each extract.
Manuscript Language: English