Abstract
Cocos nucifera was a coastal plant whose roots were used in pharmacopoeia to treat anemia in Benin. The aqueous extract from its roots stimulated the synthesis of hemoglobin. The aim of this work was to test in vivo the efficacy of the butanolic fraction of the extract in the treatment of anemia. Methods: Wistar rats were anemic with phenylhydrazine for two days. From D2 to D15, some were treated by gavage with the butanolic fraction of the aqueous extract of Cocos nucifera roots at the dose of 40 mg or 60 mg/kg of body weight/day, others were treated with vitafer (an anti-anemic drug) or with distilled water. The rats blood were collected on days D0, D2, D7, D10 and D15 for the complete blood count and the osmotic resistance of the red blood cells. Results: On D2, phenylhydrazine significantly lowered the hemoglobin level and the number of red blood cells, which were respectively corrected on D10 and D15 by the fraction of extract with release of hypochromic macrocytes. However, the effect was slower than that of the crude extract, was not specific to erythropoiesis because it also stimulated thrombopoiesis and was not dose-dependent. Conclusion: The butanolic fraction of the aqueous extract of Cocos nucifera roots corrected anemia by stimulation of hematopoiesis. The observed biological activity would probably be linked to anthocyanins which are mainly isolated by butanol. These results contribute to a better knowledge of bioactive compounds of our antianemic plants.
Highlights
Anemia is a major public health problem around the world
This drop in hemoglobin level was corrected from D10 in groups treated with vitafer or the butanolic fraction of Cocos nucifera root extract at 40 or 60mg per kg of body weight
This drop in the number of red blood cells was corrected from D10 in group treated with vitafer and from D15 in those treated with the butanolic fraction of Cocos nucifera root extract at 40 or 60 mg per kg of body weight
Summary
Anemia is a major public health problem around the world (de Benoist et al, 2008). It affects populations of all ages but mostly pregnant women and children. Anemia is defined as a low level of circulating hemoglobin with a value of less than 11g/dl in children. In Africa, the causes of anemia are multiple. They are often linked to parasitic diseases such as malaria, bacterial infections and various nutritional deficiencies (UNICEF, 2015). Iron deficiency is the first cause of carentiel anemia. It affects about 30% of the world's population (Staubli Asobayire, 2005). Iron is an important component of hemoglobin, a pigment in the red blood cell that carries oxygen (Upasana, 2018)
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