Lycopene Selectively Mitigates Adverse Effect of Alcohol on Haematological Parameters in Experimental Rats

Alcohol consumption has been associated with variety of disease conditions affecting different body tissues. Among the array of adverse effects of alcohol exposure is the adverse effect on blood cells or blood forming tissue (bone marrow) which in turn results into the impairment of haematological profile and function. Lycopene is an alkene-based carotenoid pigment known for its diverse nutritional and pharmacological applications. Consequently, the objective of this paper was to assess the potential of lycopene as an intervention agent against the adverse effect of alcohol exposure on haematological parameters in the experimental rat model using standard appropriate techniques. Data obtained [mean ± standard error of mean (SEM)] among the control animals included 7.85 ± 1.79 106/µL (RBC), 17.45 ± 3.03 g/dL (HGC), 7.20 ± 1.55 103/µL (WBC), 10.79 ± 1.79 % (NC), 0.85 ± 0.06 % (EC), 9.11 ± 1.99 % (BC), 2.92 ± 0.06 (MC) and 675.05 ± 35.79 103/µL (PLC). The alcohol exposure resulted into significant reduction in the values of RBC (7.13 ± 1.23 106/µL), HGC (15.15 ± 2.03 g/dL), WBC (5.17 ± 1.05 103/µL), NC (7.89 ± 1.86 %), EC (0.45 ± 0.05 %), BC (6.98 ± 1.55 %), MC (2.24 ± 0.07) and PLC (409.45 ± 41.89 103/µL) in the serum of animals while the co-administration with lycopene resulted into the normalization of serum levels of some haematological parameters such as RBC (7.80 ± 1.31 106/µL), HGC (18.05 ± 2.11 g/dL), WBC (6.54 ± 1.18 103/µL), NC (9.69 ± 1.32 %), MC (2.82 ± 0.05). Lycopene selectively mitigated the adverse effect of alcohol exposure on the haematological parameters in the experimental model.