Effect of Flower Extract from Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) on Haematological Values and Blood Cell Characteristics in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) is a well known medicinal plant. The extracts of rhizomes, seeds, flowers and leaves have been reported to have varied therapeutic potential. Flowers are traditionally used to treat diarrhoea, cholera, fever, hepatopathy, hyperdipsia and many bleeding disorders. Furthermore, N. nucifera can be used for antidiabetic. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of Nelumbo nucifera flower extract (NNFE) on hematological values and blood cell characteristics in diabetic rats. NNFE at a dose of 250 mg/kg was administered orally and daily to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats for eight weeks. Blood cell characteristics and hematological values including red blood cell count (RBC), white blood cell count (WBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), platelet count (PLT), and different white blood cell counts including lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils of the rats were examined. The result showed that NNFE had no effect on hematological values and blood cell character. However, its recovered the WBC count in diabetic rats closely to normal controls. NNFE has a beneficial effect on the improvement of some hematological values in diabetes. The results suggest that NNFE can be used for diabetic treatment.