Nku-Ekpang Okot-Asi T.¹, Nwaehujor Chinaka O.^{2, 3,}, Ofem Ofem E.¹, Ezekiel Josiah I.¹

The study was designed to investigate the effect of ethanol leaf extract of Moringa oleifera Lam. in phenylhydrazine-induced anemic albino Wistar rats. Twenty five (25) rats of both sexes were randomly assigned to 5 groups. Group 1 (normal control), Group 2 (negative control) was challenged with Phenylhydrazine (40 mg/kg, i.p.) without treatment. Group 3 received M. oleifera extract at 300 mg/kg. Groups 4 and 5 were challenged with phenylhydrazine (40 mg/kg) and treated with 300 and 600 mg/kg of M. oleifera respectively. All treatments with the extract were per os. All animals were allowed free access to food and water pre and post treatment for 21 days. At the end of the treatment period, blood samples were collected from the rats via the retro-orbital plexus of the eye. The hematological parameters assayed for were red blood cell count, hemoglobin count, white blood cell count, packed cell volume, platelet count, mean cell volume, mean cell hemoglobin, mean cell hemoglobin concentration and lymphocytes count. Changes in body weight of the rats were also determined. Results showed that there was significant (P<0.05) increase in some blood parameters (red blood cell count, hemoglobin count, white blood cell count). Body weights were also found to increase with increasing doses of the extract in the PHZ-challenged animals. In conclusion, the oral administration of ethanol extract of M. oleifera has the tendency to increase some blood parameters and may be important in the treatment and management of anemia especially hemolytic and hemorrhagic anemia.

Moringa oleifera, anemia, phenylhydrazine (PHZ), ethanol extract, hematology, albino Wistar rats