EFFECTS OF OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM (SCENT LEAF) AQUEOUS LEAF EXTRACT ON PACKED CELL VOLUME OF WISTAR RATS

 Ovuakporaye S.I

Department of physiology

Delta State University, Abraka

E-mail: simonovuakpo2006@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The effect of aqueous leaf extract ocimum gratissimum (scent leaf) on packed cell volume (PCV) was carried out in this study using male and female Wister rats. The experimental design comprises of; group1 (Male control), group 2 (Male low dose of the extract, 500mg/kg), group 3 (male high dose of the extract, 1000mg/kg), group 4 (female control), group 5 (female low dose, 500mg/kg) and group 6 (female high dose, 1000mg/kg). Oral administration of aqueous leaf extract was carried out for two months followed by chloroform anesthesia before blood samples were collected for biochemical analyses. The study showed that different group treatments significantly (P=0.006) affected the packed cell volume of male and female Wister rats. The extract did not cause any significant difference (P>0.05) when compared with control group of male and female Wistar rats. The effect of the extract on sex was only observed in group 3 male PCV (47.4 ± 0.9) which was significantly (P=0.002) increased when compared with that of group 3 female PCV (30.4 ± 13.1).

Keywords: ocimum gratissimum, packed cell volume, wistar rat