ISSN (Online) : 2277-4572
Author(s): Oluwafemi Adeleke Ojo, Basiru Olaitan Ajiboye, Babatunji Emmanuel Oyinloye and Adebola Busola Ojo
Irvingia gabonensis has medicinal properties and lowers blood sugar levels often associated with diabetes mellitus when incorporated in the diet. The present study examined hematologic potentials of I. gabonensis Baill. exLanen. (Irvingiaceae) stem bark extract in cadmium-induced male rats. Twenty male rats (100-190 g) were divided into four groups of five rats each group. Group A were control rats, group B received cadmium only, group C received cadmium and 200 mg/kg dosage of extract and group D received cadmium and 400 mg/kg dosage of extract.Increasing doses (200 and 400 mg/kg body weight) of I. gabonensis ethanol stem bark extract were administered by oral gavage to the other two treatment group C and D.The animals were sacrificed using diethyl ether, and their blood sample collected into ethylenediaminetetra acid (EDTA) bottles, for assessing hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell (RBC), packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cell (WBC) count and WBC differentials, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). The results shows reduction (p > 0.05) in the hemoglobin level (11.1 ± 0.05 g/dl)and WBC count (1.2 ± 0.01) (X 103 mm3 ) of cadmium untreated group and reversing all abnormalities in the hematological parameters determined when comparing with the extract treated groups, most especially at 400 mg/kg (16.2 ± 0.37 g/dl) and (4.36 ± 0.12) (X 103 mm3 ). In conclusion, I. gabonensis has a protective effect on blood profile against the cadmium toxicity.
