Prevention of doxorubicin-induced haematotoxicity by turmeric in Wistar rats

Doxorubicin is a known anticancer drug used in treatment of various cancers including leukemias, lymphomas, soft-tissue sarcomas and solid tumors. Doxorubicin exerts its toxicity on the blood by causing bone marrow suppression, myelosuppression, pronounced marrow depression and bone marrow depletion, and hypoplasia This study investigated the effect of turmeric on the haematological parameters in doxorubicin-induced  oxidative stress in Wistar rats. 54 adult Wistar rats were divided into 9 groups of six animals each. Group 1 animals served as control (normal saline), group 2 animals served as negative control, and received doxorubicin, group 3 animals were given doxorubicin and turmeric, group 4 animals received doxorubicin and vitamin C, group 5 animals received doxorubicin and vitamin E, group 6 animals received doxorubicin, vitamins C and turmeric, group 7 animals received doxorubicin, vitamin E and turmeric, while group 8 animals received doxorubicin, vitamin C and vitamin E and finally, group 9 animals receive doxorubicin, vitamin C, vitamin E and turmeric. The experiment lasted for 28 days and blood samples were collected from each animal from the various groups for haematological assay. Doxorubicin caused a significant decrease in the serum levels of white blood cell count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, monocyte count, platelet count, red blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit and mean corpuscular volume.  These changes were prevented by turmeric alone or in combined concomitant administration with vitamins C and or E and doxorubicin