Authors : O.S. Adeyemi, M.A. Akanji and J.T. Ekanem
Abstract: Anaemia has been shown to be a cardinal feature in African trypanosomosis. This study evaluated the effects of the ethanolic extract of Psidium guajava leaf on some haematological indices in rats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Observations revealed significant (p<0.05) decreases in the values for Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (Hb), Red Blood Cell (RBC) counts, Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Concentration Haemoglobin Count (MCHC) in infected group relative to the treated as well as the uninfected animals. There was a significant (p<0.05) increase in the White Blood Cell (WBC) counts in infected animals when compared with the infected but treated animals. Also significant changes were observed for neutrophil in the infected animals compared to control and infected but treated groups (p<0.05). However, treatment with the ethanolic extract was able to significantly (p<0.05) improve the PCV, Hb, RBC, MCV, MCHC and neutrophil levels relative to the infected but untreated animals. Results demonstrate the anti-anaemic properties of the ethanolic extract of P. guajava in rats infected with T.b. brucei.
O.S. Adeyemi, M.A. Akanji and J.T. Ekanem, 2010. Anti-Anaemic Properties of the Ethanolic Extracts of Psidium guajava in Trypanosoma brucei brucei Infected Rats. Research Journal of Pharmacology, 4: 74-77.