Background: Anaemia is known to be associated with diabetes; moreover, with the increasing cases of diabetes there is need for the use of more affordable alternative herbal medicines for the treatment of diabetes and anaemia. The aim of this work was to evaluate the hypoglycaemic and haematinic properties of Artocarpus heteropyllus on diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Ethanol leaf extract of Artocarpus heteropyllus was screened for phytochemicals and its acute toxicity was tested on mice. Induction of diabetes was done at a dose of 150 mg/kg body weight (b.w) (with exception of the control group). The extract was administered to rats for a period of 7 days at 100, 300 and 500 mg/kg b.w, respectively, following induction. Blood samples of rats were tested for fasting blood sugar (FBS), packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC), haemoglobin, neutrophil lymphocyte and eosinophil counts. Results: The ethanol leaf extract of A. heterophyllus showed no mortality up to a dose of 5000 mg/kg b.w. Administration of the extract to diabetic rats resulted in a decrease in the FBS of diabetic rat, and significant increases (p< 0.05) in RBC, PCV, WBC and haemoglobin levels.
Conclusion:The ethanol leaf extract of A. heterophyllus increased the haematological indices of diabetic rats. Our findings support the use of this plant as an herbal alternative in the treatment of diabetes and anaemia associated diabetes.
Background:Tobacco snuffing, like cigarette smoking, is known to be a common habit among the adults of Igbo communities in Nigeria. In view of the various pharmacological actions of nicotine and other additive constituents of tobacco snuff, there is growing concern that ascorbic acid, which is a vital antioxidant, and blood cell production or morphology may be affected.Objective:To investigate the possible effects of prolonged use of tobacco snuff on plasma ascorbic acid concentrations and some hematological parameters.Materials and Methods:Fifty adults of Igbo extraction (35 males and 15 females) residents in and around Enugu metropolis, who have been snuffing tobacco for 6 years and above, were recruited for the study, after they gave informed consent. Also, 50 apparently healthy, age-matched persons (25 males, 25 females), who do not smoke or take tobacco snuff, served as controls. Spectrophotometric method was adopted for ascorbic acid determination while hematological profiles were assessed by Bain method.Results:The results showed no significant difference in the measured parameters relative to the controls AA (P=0.08); Hb (P=0.19); PCV (P=0.10); RC (P=0.06); PC (P=0.20); WBC (P=0.09).Conclusion:The results of the study suggest that tobacco snuff inhalation may not adversely affect plasma ascorbic acid concentration and hematological parameters in adult humans. The study, however, has not concluded that tobacco snuffing is totally wholesome.
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