Anti-anaemic potential of the hydro-ethanolic extract of Waltheria indica (L) in albino rats with parasitaemia – induced anaemia

Anaemia has been reported to be the key feature of trypanosomiasis and is used as the primary indicator of when to treat the infection. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the anti-anaemic potential of the hydro-ethanolic extract of Waltheria indica in albino rats with parasitaemia – induced anaemia. Three groups of 6 rats each were challenged with Trypanosoma brucei brucei to induce anaemia and treated with 300mg/kg bw orally for 5 days, 3.5mg/kg Berenil® once intraperitoneally and distilled water. All the rats developed anaemia, manifested by significantly reduced values of Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (Hb)concentration and Red Blood Cells (RBC) count within 5 days of infection compared with the pre-infection values. Treatment with Berenil and Waltheria indica hydro-ethanolic extract at 300mg/kg bw led to remarkable improvement in the values of the PCV, Hb and RBC, however, the restoration was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the animals treated with the ethanol extract of the plant. Results of the study also indicated the absence of the effect of both parasitaemia and treatment on the levels of erythrocyte indices (Mean Cell Volume, Mean Cell Haemoglobin and Mean Cell Haemoglobin Concentration) of the infected rats. Therefore, the plant could be of use in the management of African sleeping sickness and other ailments related to anaemia.