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The leaf aqueous extract of Ipomoea batatas was investigated for hematological and biochemical effects in mice. The acute toxicity test recorded no death, even at the highest dose of 1,600 mg/kg. The animals were divided into two groups. The first group was given 800 mg of the extract for 28 days while the second group that served as the control received water for the same period. No significant changes in hematological parameters such as packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration, and the red blood cell count. The erythrocytic indices such as mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration did not change significantly. There was a significant ( p < 0.05) increase in the level of WBC in the group that received the extract. The activities of the serum enzymes, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase also did not change significantly. The pentobarbitone sleeping time showed significant ( p < 0.001) increase in the mean sleeping time when the group that received the extract was compared with the control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution of the environment by petroleum products is a common feature in oil producing nations, especially in the developing countries where the incidence of pipe line leakage and valdalization is very common. This study investigated the effects of exposure to water contaminated with very low concentration of diesel on some hematological and serum biochemical parameters of mice. A total of 20 albino mice were used for the study. The mice were allowed to drink from water contaminated with diesel 1 %, v/v for 6 weeks. Hematological and serum biochemical parameters of the mice that were exposed to the contaminated water were compared to control mice. There was a significant ( p<0.05) decrease in the packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration of mice that were allowed to drink from the diesel-contaminated water. The mean corpuscular volume also increased significantly ( p<0.05) in these mice. The activities of these serum enzymes; aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase increased significantly ( p<0.05). Serum concentrations of total bilirubin and creatinine also increased significantly ( p<0.05). The results indicate that diesel-contaminated water or products even at the lowest concentration is a threat to the environment. The health of humans and other species exposed to this environmental pollutant is adversely affected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psidium guajava Linn. leaf extract is used in Nigerian ethnomedicine to treat many disorders such as diarrhea, cough, gastroenteritis, gastric pain, and inflammatory disorders. The effects of the chlorofrom extract of the leaves on some hematological and biochemical parameters were investigated in mice. The animals were divided into three groups of eight animals per group. The first group served as the control, while the second and the third groups were given orally 24.3 and 45.9 mg/ml of the extract, respectively, for 28 days. The parameters investigated in the study include packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin concentration (HBC), total white blood cell (WBC) count, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total and conjutate bilirubin and creatinine. Significant ( p < 0.05) differences existed between the experimental groups and the controls with respect to the lymphocyte counts, mean corpuscular volume, ALT, AST, and ALP. No significant difference existed in the levels of PCV, RBC, HBC, WBC count, neutrophil count, MCH, MCHC, and total and conjugated bilirubin and creatinine. Phytochemical analysis of the extract showed the presence of tannins and flavonoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Burkea africana is a widely used medicinal plant in folkloric medicine in many developing countries of the world. It is useful in the treatment of various ailments including hepatitis, jaundice, diarrhea, stomach aches, abscesses, oedema, epilepsy, bloody diarrhea, gonorrhea, syphilis, toothaches and poisoning. Nevertheless, there are little or no scientific evidence to substantiate this medicinal claim by traditional healers. Burkea africana stem bark was therefore, investigated for its protective or stabilizing effect on erythrocyte membrane in acetaminophen-treated rats. B. africana stem bark was extracted using 80% methanol. Erythrocyte stabilizing effect was studied using erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF) test. Thirty (30) male rats were randomly assigned into five (5) groups of six (6) rats each. Groups 1 and 2 served as normal control and negative control (acetaminophen-treated group) respectively. Groups 3, 4 and 5 were pretreated with methanol stem bark extract of Burkea africana (MSBEBA) at doses of 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg body weight respectively once daily for seven (7) days. Blood samples were collected from the animals in all the groups on the 8 day for evaluation of packed cell volume, haemoglobin, red blood cell, white blood cell counts, and differential white blood cell count as well as erythrocyte osmotic fragility. Results: The erythrocyte osmotic fragility test showed that there was a significantly (p < 0.05) low percentage hemolysis in the groups pre-treated with the extract when compared with the negative control. The percentage hemolysis was least at 600 mg/kg body weight of the extract. There was also a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the packed cell volume, haemoglobin, red blood cell count at all the doses of the extract used. Neutrophils were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased while lymphocytes were significantly increased in the groups administered MSBEBA 400 and 600 mg/kg body weight. Conclusion: Methanol stem bark extract of Burkea africana had protective effect on the red blood cells and also improved haematological parameters. This indicates that Burkea africana may be useful in the treatment of disease conditions that results in hemolytic anemia by stabilizing red erythrocyte membranes and enhancing erythropoiesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]