Haematopoietic activity ofAsteracantha longifoliaon cyclophosphamide-induced bone marrow suppression

Abstract

Chloroform extract of the leaves of Asteracantha longifolia at different doses (250 and 500 mg/kg body weight) was examined on anaemic albino rat for certain haematological parameters like erythrocyte count, leukocyte count, and haemoglobin count. Chloroform extract was found to significantly (b,b1,b2,b3 P<0.05) improve erythrocyte and haemoglobin count on the 22 nd day (d) after 7 d of continuous cyclophosphamide (3 mg/kg body weight) treatment. Treatment with chloroform extract along with cyclophosphamide was found to significantly (P <0.001) increase the bone marrow cellularity (11.5×10 6) as compared to cyclophosphamide alone treated group (6.2×10 6). Administration of extract increased the number of α-esterase positive cells (1062/4000) in the bone marrow of cyclophosphamide-treated animals, compared to the cyclophosphamide alone treated group (650/4000). The major activity of A. longifolia may be stimulation of stem cell proliferation. The observations that A. longifolia could reduce the cyclophosphamide-induced toxicity may indicate its usefulness in cancer therapy. From ancient time, medicinal plants classified as Rasayana to the extracts of A. longifolia 2-3. in Ayurveda are believed to be useful in strengthening the haematopoietic and immune system of an individual 1. MATERIALS AND METHODS Anaemia is a common form of nutritional disorder, the principal cause of which is iron deficiency. It is prevalent Plant material and extraction: in both industrialized and developing countries. Infants, The fresh leaves of A. longifolia were collected in the children, women of childbearing age, pregnant women, month of November to December from the Patharia and the elderly are considered to be particularly village in Sagar and authenticated at the Department of vulnerable to iron deficiency because their intake or Botany, Dr. H. S. Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar. The absorption is poor. There is need to evaluate the powdered leaves (600 g) were successively extracted in potential of Ayurvedic drugs to counteract toxicity of a Soxhlet apparatus for 18 h with solvents. The extract modern therapy. A. longifolia Nees (Fam: Acanthaceae) is was weighed, and percentage w/w was found to be 2.07 a wild herb commonly found in moist places on the banks for chloroform extract. One gram of chloroform extract of tanks, ditches, paddy fields, etc., throughout India and was mixed in 10 ml of groundnut oil. Sri Lanka. It is a source of the Ayurvedic drug Kokilaaksha and the Unani drug Talimakhana. The seeds Animal study was performed at the Division of are acrid, bitter, aphrodisiac, tonic, sedative, and useful in Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, diseases of the blood. However, there is no information Dr. H. S. Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, with due available about its effect on the blood profile as well as permission from institutional animal ethical committee on the stem cell proliferation. The present investigation (Registration No. 397/01/ab/CPCSEA). Cyclophosphamide was designated to explore the haematological an...