STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF A HERBAL FOOD SUPPLEMENT ON SOME HAEMATOLOGICAL INDICES IN RABBITS
| Autor: | C. C. ISITUA, I. N. IBEH |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2011 |
| Zdroj: | Nigerian Journal of Life Sciences (ISSN: 2276-7029). 1:164-167 |
| ISSN: | 2814-2586 2276-7029 |
| DOI: | 10.52417/njls.v1i2.55 |
| Popis: | In this study the impact of a herbal food supplement on rabbits was investigated. The herbal food comprises 80% Moringa oleifera leaf and 20% Caulis bambusae leaf extract. Twelve adult age-matched male Chinchilla rabbits were divided into three equal groups (n = 4) and allowed to acclimatize for 7 days in their respective cages. Group 1 rabbits were administered with 2.5ml of the herbal suspension by oral intubation, group 2 rabbits received 5.0ml of the suspension, while group 3 rabbits were given 5.0ml of the vehicle (sterile distilled water) and served as the control. The feeding period lasted for 30 days. At the end of the feeding experiment, blood samples were collected from the rabbits by cardiac puncture and analyzed for CD4 cells, packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cells (WBC), differential white blood cells (DWBC), haemoglobin (Hb) and platelet count. The mean CD4 cell count, PCV, WBC, Hb, platelet, neutrophils and lymphocytes for the test rabbits were 28.59 x 103 cells / ml, 31.75 %, 3.45 x 103 ul, 9.45 g / 100 ml, 26.2 x 104 ul, 41.9 % and 43.2 %, respectively, while the control rabbits recorded 9.75 x 103 cells / ml, 36.5 %, 4.4 x 103 ul, 11.45 g / 100 ml, 27.8 x 104 ul, 37.0 % and 56.0 % respectively. Exposure to the herbal food caused significant increases in CD4 cells (P < 0.01), neutrophils (P < 0.05) and a significant decrease in lymphocytes (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference (P ? 0.05) in the physical and behavioral pattern of both test and control rabbits. These findings suggest an immuno-enhancing potential of the herbal food which was concentration dependent. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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