Effect of Hydro-Methanolic Leaf Extract of Justicia carnea on some Haematological Parameters of Indomethacin Treated Wistar Rats

The use of plant-based natural products as medicine is a common practice in low income countries. In cultures Justicia carnea (JC) is mainly cultivated because of its perceived hematinic effect. The study involved a total of twenty-five wistar rats separated into five groups of five rats each. Group 1 served as control and received distilled water. Groups 2 to 5 received respectively a single oral dose of 30mg/kg indomethacin (Sabiu et al., 2015). While group 2 remained untreated (Indomethacin-only group), groups 3, 4 and 5 respectively received in addition 200mg/kg, 500mg/kg and 1000mg/kg of JC leaf extract for 14 days. The results showed that at lower concentrations (200mg/kg and 500mg/kg) there were no significant changes in the measured hematological parameters. The 1000mg/kg JC caused significant rise in red blood cell count, packed cell volume and lymphocytes but depressed neutrophils without any significant effects on the platelet count. Conclusively, consumption of high concentrations of Justicia carnea leaves improves red blood cell count and thus possibly ameliorates indomethacin induced anemia in wistar rats. Although, JC leaves did not cause any significant changes in the platelet count, it significantly reduced neutrophils and elevated lymphocytes.