Abstract:
Hematological disorders have attained epidemic proportions worldwide today. As a result, many people turn to
medicinal plants for treatment thereby boosting and enhancing health because professional care is not immediately
available, is too inconvenient, costly and time consuming. Certain medicinal plants are believed to promote positive
health and maintain organic resistance against infection. The use of medicinal plants which are readily available
and arguably efficacious would therefore over a better and affordable alternative for boosting and enhancing
health. Assessment of hematological parameters can be used to determine the extent of deleterious effect of
foreign compounds including plant extracts on the blood constituents of an animal. Various chemical constituents
of Vernonia lasiopus are believed to possess therapeutic effects on hematological parameters. However, these
effects have not been subjected to systematic studies to substantiate the therapeutic claims made regarding their
clinical utility. This study was designed to investigate the hematological effects of V. lasiopus (O. Hoffman) in normal
mice. The experimental groups were treated with leaf extracts at concentration of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg orally
once per two days for a period of fourteen days. Hematological parameters and indices were determined from
unclotted blood samples using standard protocols. Presence of various types of phytochemicals was assessed
using standard procedures. The leaf extract of V. lasiopus (O. Hoffman) induced changes in erythrocytes and related
parameter profiles, total and differential WBC counts, platelets and their related parameters in normal mice at the
two tested dose levels of 50 mg/kgbw and 100 mg/kgbw. Further, the phytochemical screening results showed that
the leaf extract of V. lasiopus (O. Hoffman) have phytochemicals associated with erythropoietin promoting activity,
immunostimulatory activities and thrombopoietin stimulation.
