Effect of Aqueous Extract of Spondiasmombin (Plum) Leaf on Haematological Parameters in Iron Deficient Rats

This study was aimed at investigating the antianeamic of Spondiasmombin on iron deprived rats. The effects of oral administration of aqueous extract of Spondiasmombin leaf at doses of 100, 200 and 300mg/kg body weight on haematological parameters, of iron sufficient and iron deprived rats were investigated. Forty (40) albino rats were used for the study. Ten (10) rats were fed with iron sufficient diet (control group) and thirty (30) rats were made iron deficient by feeding them with iron deprived diet. After four weeks of feeding the rats,the haemoglobin concentration (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cells (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular volume (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), white blood cell (WBC) and serum iron (Fe) were determined. The mean PCV, Hb, MCH, serum Fe of the iron deprived rats were found to be significantly (p<0.05) reduced when compared with rats fed on iron sufficient feed. The anaemic rats (iron deficient) were then treated with various doses of the extract, iron standard drug (iron sulphate) and iron sufficient diets for two weeks. Proximate analysis of the iron sufficient and iron depriveddiets showed that they are similar. Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, saponins and cardiac glycosides. The mineral analysis of the extract showed the leaf contained Na (190.08 mg/100g), K (3.45 mg/100g), Fe (109.33 mg/100g), Zn(226.67 mg/100g) and Ca(17.77 mg/100g). Compared with the control Iron sufficient group (ISG), extract administration produced significant increase (P<0.05) in Hb, PCVand MCH at all the dose levels. The results obtained suggest that the administration of aqueous extract of Spondiasmombin leaf might have reversed the anaemic condition.