Effects of Nauclea latifolia Ethanolic Root Extract on Haematological Indices in Rats

Background and Objective: Nauclea latifolia (Smith) (Family: Rubiaceae) also known as ‘Pincushion Tree’ or ‘African Peach’ is a struggling shrub, native to tropical Africa and Asia where the use of folk medicine is prevalent and the search for an herbal cure is but common practice. Consequently, the effect of Nauclea latifolia ethanolic root extracts on hematological indices in rats was investigated in this research. Materials and Methods: The root of Nauclea latifolia was extracted with ethanol. A total of twenty Wister albino rats were used in this study. The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups of 5 rats each. Varying doses of the extract such as 10, 50 and 250 mg kg‾¹ were orally administered to groups 2, 3 and 4, respectively for 42 days. Results: The ethanolic extract of N. latifolia showed a significant elevation (p<0.05) in haematological parameters of the experimental rats after 42 days of administration in the Packed Cell Volume (PCV), white blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration and red blood cell count as compared with the control group which could be a protective mechanism against infection. Conclusion: If the results obtained from this study are applicable to man, ethanolic extracts of Nauclea latifolia root can be used as immune boosters and blood tonics in herbal medicine. However, it seems that it may contain particles that may exert or have allergenic and inflammatory properties.