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ABSTRACT
Anemia is a major public health problem. It is characterized by low levels of hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen throughout the body. The effects of anemia include reduced cognitive and physical development in children, fatigue and reduced physical stamina and productivity for people of all ages.Majorityof populations in developing countries depend on dietarysupplementation and herbal medicine for the management of the anemic condition.
Solanum macrocarpon known as “Garden egg”is a plant commonly found in Africa, it is consumed locally and reportedly used for diverse medicinal purposes. This study was carried out to assess the anti-anemic effects of the methanol extract of Solanum macrocarpon leaves in male albino wistar rats exposed to phenylhydrazine (PHZ) toxicity. A total of twenty-five rats were used for this study. The rats were acclimatized for fourteen days and divided into five groups. At the end of the 14 days, PHZ was administered. Group 1 served as normal control and groups 2 to 5 were the experimental groups. Group 2 served as negative control (administered only PHZ), Group 3 was administered Vitamin C (reference group), while Groups 4 and 5 were administered different doses of Solanum macrocarpon leaf extract (100 and 250mg/Kg bw respectively). At the end of the experimental period, the rats were anaesthetized with chloroform, blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta and the heart after sacrifice. Haematological analysis was performed by Automated Hematology Counter, liver function tests and antioxidant assays were carried out according to standard procedures. On exposure to PHZ, the rats developedhemolytic anemia which was evident by a reduction in the haematocrit level, haemoglobin concentration and the number of red blood cells. Interestingly, this condition was successfully reversed on treatment with Solanum macrocarpon leaf extract, which has been shown to be rich in protein, antioxidant vitamins and phytochemicals.
