Summary:The potential haematological effects associated with the administration of ethanolic leaf extract of Ageratum conyzoides was investigated in rats. 27 rats were randomly divided into four groups. The first group had 6 rats and served as control, the remaining 3 experimental groups and had 7 rats each. These later groups were gavaged with the extract of Ageratum conyzoides in concentrations of 200mg/kg, 400mg/kg and 500mg/kg respectively for 30days at a dose of 0.1ml/body weight. The control group was gavaged with 0.9% sodium chloride at a dose of 0.1m1/body weight as placebo. The extract at the doses administered was found to increase in a dose-related fashion PCV and Hb (p<0.01 for 200mg/kg and p<0.001 for 400mg/kg and 500mg/kg), RBC (P<0.05 for 400mg/Kg and 500mg/kg) and marginal increases that were not significant (P>0.05 for 200mg/kg); MCH and MCV (P<0.05 and P<0.01 for 400mg/kg and 500mg/kg respectively) 200mg/kg was not significant. MCHC recorded no significant change. WBC recorded marginal increases that were not significant (P>0.05), similarly, the differential white blood cell recorded marginal increases that were not significant, except lymphocytes that recorded significant increase in group 4 (P<0.05). Marginal Decreases in body weight were also observed, these decreases were however not significant. The result of this study thus indicate haematopoietic potentials of the extract and could possibly remedy anaemia.

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Background: Inflammation is said to be associated with hyperglycaemia and is implicated in the complications of diabetes. Aim: This study was designed to investigate the level of some inflammatory markers in blood of diabetic rats administered with aqueous leaf extract of Terminalia catappa and exogenous insulin.  Materials and Methods: Thirty five (35) Wistar rats were assigned to 5 groups of 7 animals each. Group 1 served as the control and received 5ml/kg body weight of distilled water and group 2 received orally, 130/kg body weight of aqueous leaf extract of Terminalia catappa. Groups 3 (diabetic only), 4 (diabetic + extract) and 5 (diabetic + insulin) were administered 150 mg/kg body weight of alloxan solution intraperitoneally to induce diabetes and blood glucose levels ≥200 mg/dl after 72 hours were considered diabetic. Then 5 ml/kg bodyweight of distilled water, 130 mg/kg body weight of Terminalia catappa leaf extract was given orally and 0.75U/kg body weight of insulin was administered subcutaneously to respective groups and the experiment lasted for 14 days. Results: The results showed significant (P< 0.05) increase in serum levels of C-reactive protein, Interleukin-6 and blood fibrinogen in diabetic group compared to control. These inflammatory biomarkers significantly (P<0.05) reduced in diabetic group treated with extract and insulin.  Conclusion: Therefore aqueous leaf extract of Terminalia catappa can reduce some inflammatory cytokines and ameliorate inflammation in diabetes similar to exogenous insulin.

Summary:The effect of an aqueous extract prepared from the leaves of Viscum album (Mistletoe) on plasma cholesterol and albumin levels in male Wistar rats was studied. Lethality studies revealed that the extract had an LD 50 value of 417.0mg/kg mice, intraperitoneally. The rats were randomly divided into seven (7) groups of 5 rats per group with one animal per metabolic cage. Group one served as the control (C1), groups two to six were treated with extract (200mg/kg body weight orally and daily) for a maximum of ten (10) weeks, whereas, group seven (C2) received no extract treatment but was fed on normal rat chow. All the rats had free access to rat food and drinking water. The first group (C1) was sacrificed a fortnight after the commencement of the experiment, while group seven (C2) was sacrificed at the end (10 th week) of the experiment. The extract-treated groups were sacrificed respectively in the order 2,4,6,8 and 10 week of extract administration. Whole blood was collected from these groups for analysis. Results showed significant increases (P<0.01) in the level of total cholesterol (TC) from 1.92 + 0.11mmol/L to 2.59 + 0.02mmol/L (about 35% increase) and high density lipoproteins (HDL) from 0.95 + 0.02mmol/L to 1.50 + 0.08mmol/L (about 58.50% increase) at week 10. The LDL levels, the total protein and albumin levels did not show any significant change from the control values. From the results, it is suggested that the crude aqueous extract from mistletoe leaf may be relatively safe for therapeutic use as it neither predisposes to cardiovascular risk nor adversely affects protein metabolism following prolonged period of administration.

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