Effects of a Diet Containing Garcinia Kola Seeds on the Blood of Adult Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

To study the effects of ingestion of G. kola diet on the blood profile of adult Wistar rats, forty adult male Wistar rats were used. They were obtained from the animal house of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical sciences, University of Nigeria Nsukka and divided into four (4) groups I-IV of ten (10) rats each. They were acclimatized to the conditions of the animal house of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu for a period of two (2) weeks. Groups I, II, and III were fed 30% w/w, 20%w/w and 10% w/w G. kola diet respectively while group IV served as control and was fed ad libitum with growers mash. At the end of the experimental period of 10 weeks the rats were starved overnight and their blood samples were collected in heparinized tubes. The blood samples were analyzed using routine laboratory methods. Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), White Blood Cell (WBC) count (total and differential) were analyzed. There was a decrease in blood sugar as dose increases. The mean PCV and lymphocyte count increased as dose increases, while the eosinophils, neutrophils and monocytes decreased as dose increases. The values use subjected to statistical analysis. The dose dependent decrease in blood glucose proved significant only between groups I (30% w/w) and IV (control), when compared using student's t-test. The results were discussed.