HISTOMORPHOLOGICAL AND HAEMATOLOGICAL EFFECT OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF CASSIA OCCIDENTALIS LEAF ON OF THE HEART OF ADULT WISTAR RATS

*Ekundina VO, Ebeye OA, Ade Alabi and Sokoh GK

ABSTRACT

This research accessed the effect of aqueous extract of Cassia occidentalis leaf on some hematological parameters and Microanatomy of the heart. Twenty (20) Adult rats with an average weight of 150g were randomly placed into 4 groups. Each group consisted of five (5) rats, group 1 served as the control group while groups 2, 3 and 4 were given 100mg, 200mg, and 300mg of cassia occidentalis extract respectively for 28 days after which all animals were sacrificed by cervical decapitation and the heart harvested were fixed promptly using 10% formol- saline after which the tissues were processed to obtained routine paraffin sections. The result revealed dose dependent increase in the levels of the PCV, Neutrophil, and lymphocyte while the WBC revealed a dose dependent reduction, the Eosinophil and Monocyte count were unremarkable. Histopathological studies of the heart showed a variant of tissue separation, congestion and other adaptive features which was concentration dependent and also showed a level of chronic inflammation in the 300mg/kg dosed rats. The study concluded that aqueous extract of Cassia occidentalis leaf has immunogenic properties however further works should be carried out so as to assess more beneficial or hazardous effect of the plant.

Keywords: Cassia Occidentalis, Wistar rat, Haematology and Histology.