Journal of Natural Remedies

Adejuwon A. Adeneye , Esther O. Agbaje , Olufunmilayo O. Adeyemi

Abstract

This study evaluates the haematopoietic and immunostimulatory activity of the seed aqueous extract of Hunteria umbellata (K. Schum) Hallier f. (HU) in normal and cyclophosphamide-induced pancytopaenic Wistar albino rats for 28 days. Results showed that oral pre-treatment with 50-200 mg/kg/day HU cause significant (p<0.05, p<0.01) dose related increases in haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), total leucocyte count (TLC) and lymphocyte differential (%lymp) in normal rats. Also, HU significantly (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.001) attenuated the cytotoxic effect of cyclophosphamide on the measured haematological parameters in the cyclophosphamide-treated rats, with 200 mg/ kg/day HU offering the greatest protection. Thus, results obtained in this study suggest that HU possesses haematopoietic and immunostimulatory activity mediated possibly by promoting haematopoiesis through enhanced DNA synthesis/repair.

Keywords

Hunteria umbellata (K. Schum) Hallier f., Haematopoietic and Immunostimulatory Activity, Cyclophosphamide, Wistar Rats

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