Costus afer leaves Extract Ameliorates Stress-induced Alterations in Hematological and Lipid Parameters in Wistar rats

Stress is a multifaceted psychological and physiological response triggered by internal, external, or combined factors that can stimulate homeostatic adaptation or disrupt homeostatic processes, thereby exerting significant effects on the body systems. The present study evaluated the impact of Costus afer leaf extracts, a medicinal plant, on chronic stress-induced alterations in hematological and lipid parameters in Wistar rats. 25 male rats (180-200 g) were divided into five groups (n=5): control and stress groups (administered 2mL distilled water), stress plus Costus afer groups (200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively), and stress plus fluoxetine group (10 mg/kg). The animals were subjected to daily induction of chronic stress for 42 days. Administration across the groups commenced from day 22 to day 42 via oral gavage. Animals were sacrificed after administration, and blood was collected for analyses. Results from the stress group showed alterations in hematological indices with significant increases (p<0.05) in RBC counts, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, platelet count, and WBC counts compared to the control. However, intervention with Costus afer was able to mitigate these effects. The lipid profile in the stress group showed dyslipidemia marked by elevation in LDL, Total cholesterol, and triglycerides levels and a reduction in the HDL level across the groups; however, Costus afer was able to reverse the stress-induced lipid alterations. Costus afer was non-toxic even at 5000 mg/kg and demonstrated comparable efficacy to fluoxetine. These findings suggest that Costus afer mitigates against stress-induced hematological and lipid profile alterations and may serve as anatural alternative in stressful conditions.