Administration of Senna occidentalis seeds to juvenile rats: effects on hematological parameters and immune lymphoid organs.

Abstract

This study aims to verify the effects of Senna occidentalis (So) on hematological, inflammatory, and immunological responses in young rats as their immune system may be more sensitive to toxicity than that of the adult. So seeds used in the experiments were obtained from the Research Centre for Veterinary Toxicology-CEPTOX at Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil. Thirty male Wistar rats, all 21 days old, were divided into groups: So4 was fed a ration containing 4% So seeds; a control group received commercial ration; and a peer-fed (PF) group received the same amount of ration as consumed by the So4 group but with no So. Food consumption and weight gains were evaluated for 28 consecutive days. The rats of So4 group showed decreases in food consumption, weight gains, and weight of the thymus and an increase in spleen weight compared to controls. The So4 rats had microcytic and hypochromic anemia characterized by a reduction in mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). The immune system analysis revealed that the So4 animals had a decrease in percentage of phagocytic neutrophils. The results showed that S. occidentalis seeds lead to injury to both the lymphoid organs and the hematopoietic system.