HAEMOPOIETIC POTENTIALS OF CRUDE METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF Apium graveolens LEAVES IN WISTAR RATS

This research was designed to investigate the haemopoietic potentials of Apium graveolens leaves extract in Wistar rats.Wistar rats (n=24), grouped into 4 (A-D) of 6 rats per group were used in this study. Group A orally received only water and feed ad libitum and served as control. Groups B, C and D were orally administered with graded-doses of the extract (B=5, C=10, and D=20 mg/kg b.wt) for 14 days. Blood samples were collected from each rat on days 7 and 14 through retro-orbital puncture for haematological analysis. On day 7, group C revealed significant increase in Haemoglobin (Hb) (12.5±0.8 g/dl), Haematocrit (Hct): (38±2%), Red Blood Cell (RBC): (5.82±0.43 x1012/l), Total White Blood Cell (TWBC): (5.4±0.3 x109/l) and group D revealed significant increase in Hb: (13.1±1 g/dl), Hct: (40±1%), RBC: (6.04±0.33 x1012/l), TWBC: (6.2±0.4 x109/l) when compared with the control, Hb: (11.6±2 g/dl), Hct: (34±3%), RBC: (5.05±1.04 x1012/l), TWBC: (4.7±1 x109/l), (p≤0.05). On day 14, group B revealed significant increase in TWBC: (5.3±0.81 x109/l), group C revealed significant increase in Hb: (12.9±1 g/dl), Hct: (40±2%), RBC: (6.01±0.4 x1012/l), TWBC: (5.9±0.5 x109/l) and group D revealed significant increase in Hb: (13.4±0.45 g/dl), Hct: (42±2%), RBC: (6.09±0.3 x1012/l), TWBC: (6.5±0.8 x109/l) when compared with the control, (p≤0.05). The observed effects were dose and time dependent. This suggests that the extract may possess haematopoietic properties when orally administered to Wistar rats.