Hibiscus sabdariffa Aqueous Leaf Extract Reverses Hematological Alterations in Phenylhydrazine Anemic Wistar Rats

Background: The extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa commonly known as Sobo is widely consumed for its nutritional and health benefits. This study investigated the effect of aqueous leaf extract of H. sabdariffa on anemic condition caused by phenylhydrazine in rats.

Materials and Methods: Thirty (30) rats used for this study were divided into three groups of 10 rats each. Group 1 received distilled water and served as control. Group 2 received phenylhydrazine (40 mg/kg, i.p.). Group 3 was treated with phenylhydrazine (40 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 minutes prior to administration of (200 mg/kg, p.o.) aqueous extract of H. sabdariffa (Sobo) once daily for 14 days. At the end, 2 ml blood samples were collected through cardiac puncture into clean sample bottles containing ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) for hematological analyses.

Results: Sobo significantly increased (P<0.05) hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and packed cell volume (PCV) in the phenylhdrazine-treated rats. Also, Sobo significantly (P<0.05) increased total white blood cell (TWBC) in phenylhydrazine administered rats. However, the extract did not produce any significant effect on mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) relative to control and anemic groups.

Conclusion: The findings from this study revealed that the aqueous extract of H. sabdariffa demonstrates anti-anemic effect in rats treated with phenylhydrazine, suggesting its ethno-pharmacological beneficial effect in anemic conditions.