International Blood Research & Reviews

Aim: This study was designed to study the effects of leaves extracts of four indigenous Nigerian medicinal plants namely- Ficus sur, Jatropha tanjorensis, Mucuna pruriens and Chromolaena odorata on platelets counts and blood coagulation tests (bleeding and clotting times) in alloxan induced diabetic rats with a view to further assess their safety in the management of diabetes mellitus.

Design: Animal experiments were carried out on whole animals in the Physiology Laboratory of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria.

Methodology: Forty five diabetic rats were divided into 9 groups of 5 rats each (groups 2-9), while group 1 comprised of 5 normal rats. Treatment was assigned to each group with a specified extract and dosed. At the end of treatment period bleeding and clotting times as well as platelets counts was determined for each animal.

Results: All doses of the extracts significantly (P<.05) lowered the observed elevated platelets counts in the diabetic rats with 150 mg/kg of Ficus sur, Jatropha tanjorensis, Mucuna pruriens and Chromolaena odorata lowering elevated platelets by 48.50, 47.26, 62.15 and 32.54% respectively. Same dose increased bleeding time by 460.6, 431.8, 430.3 and 213% respectively. Clotting time was also raised by 86.8, 63.57, 48.06, and 43.41 respectively.

Conclusion: The results show that the leaf extracts of Ficus sur, Jatropha tanjorensis, and Mucuna pruriens contain principles with anti-haemostatic and fibrinolytic and could be of value in the prevention of blood coagulation diseases often associated with diabetes mellitus but leaves that of Chromolaena odorata for further evaluation.