Abstract

HAEMATOLOGICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN SWISS ALBINO MICE FOLLOWING ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF CRUDE WATER EXTRACT OF CASUARINA EQUISTEFOLIA L. LEAVES

Malann Y. D., Deme G. G.*, Ameh S., Lumi E. B. and Data K. R.

ABSTRACT

College of Health Technology Pankshin. ABSTRACT The study was aimed at determining the toxicity of extracts of Casuarina equistefolia leaves on some vital organs and haematological parameters of mice. Twenty Swiss male mice (15-20g) grouped A, B, C, and D. The mice were orally administered 200mg/kg, 400mg/kg, 600mg/kg of the extracts and normal saline daily for 30 days. The histology and haematological parameters were done using standard methods. The results revealed that all the mice treated with the extracts and the control increased linearly until termination of treatment with week 4 showing a dose dependent in weight increase. Haematologically, there was a general reduction in some of the indices such as the haemoglobin counts, Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Red Blood Cell (RBC) counts, Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH) counts and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) when compared to the values of the control group. But, the White Blood Cells (WBC) counts showed a dose dependent increase when compared to the control. On differential counts of WBC in mice, the result revealed that the neutrophil, monocytes and esinophils counts increased in a dose dependent fashion when compared with the increases observed in the control groups. In the contrary, the lymphocytes counts reduced with increase in dose when compared with the control and basophil count was nil for all groups. Histopathologically, organs examined were apparently normal at the end of the four weeks of exposure to treatment. However, there was severe haemorrhage and congestion in the lungs for 600mg/kg treated group while minor haemorrhage was observed in the lungs of mice treated with 400mg/kg. The results of the toxicological experiments indicated that all of the extracts tested were well tolerated in mice at a lower dosage but might not be safe when dosage is high. Hence, the consumption should be with caution.

Keywords: Casuarina equistefolia, Crude Water Extracts, Haematological Changes, Histoarchitectural changes.