EFFECTS OF Portulaca oleracea EXTRACTS ON HAEMATOLOGICAL, SERUM BIOCHEMICAL AND REPRODUCTIVE PARAMETERS IN ALBINO RATS

Abstract

Portulaca oleracea is a herb used locally for foetal development in Edo State, Nigeria. Several studies have reported the gastrointestinal and neurological effects of the extracts, but there is a dearth of information on its effects on blood chemistry and reproduction. This study was designed to investigate the effects of its crude extracts and chromatographic fractions on haematological, biochemical and reproductive parameter's in Wistar albino rats. Aqueous and Methanolic Extracts of P. oleracea, AEPO and MEPO respectively and their chromatographic fractions 1,2,3,4 and 5 were prepared. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) was used to identify the fraction with the highest number of phytochemical components and was further purified to isolate the active principles. Structural elucidation of the active principles was done using ultraviolet, infra-red and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques. Haematological and biochemical studies were done using male rats (5 per group) treated with AEPO and MEPO (25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, 75 mg/kg) and their fractions 0 mg/kg, 2 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg) for 30 days. Andrological studies terminated at 50 days. The active principles were administered for 25 days for haematological and andrological studies at doses of 0.5 mg/kg and 0.75 mg/kg. Distilled water (0.5 mL) served as control. Red Blood Cell (RBC) and Total White Blood Cell (TWBC) counts were determined using haemocylometer. Activities of scrum Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) were determined by spectrophotometry. Serum Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FH) and testosterone levels were assayed using ELISA. Semen analyses were done microscopically. Male and female fertility was determined by isolated mating technique. Histology of the testis, kidney and liver was done. Data were analysed using ANOVA at p<0.05. The three isolated active principles from fraction 2 were ergosterol, lupone and tetracyclic steroid. Treatment with AEPO (25 mg/kg) caused no significant change in TWBC and RBC counts, while ergosterol (0.75 mg/kg) and fraction 1 (2 mg/kg) caused significant increase and decrease in TWBC (17.0±1.01 x10³/uL; relative to control 11.0±0.42 x 10³/uL) and RBC counts (6.14±0.3 x10⁶/uL; relative to control 7.04±0.93 x10⁶/uL) respectively. All doses of AEPO and MEPO caused no significant changes in ALT and AST levels, while fraction 2 (2 mg/kg) caused significant increase in ALT (23.0±1.63 u/L; relative to control 14.8±1.84 u/L) and AST (29.3±1.84 u/L; relative to control 19.3±2.32 u/L). MEPO (50 mg/kg) caused significant decrease in testosterone (0.3±0.08 ng/ml; relative to control 0.8±0.08 ng/ml). Fraction 3 (1 mg/kg) caused significant decrease in LH (6.4±0.29 I.U/L; relative to control 15.0±0.59 I.U/L) and FSH (5.83±0.1 relative to control 8.3±0.23 I.U/L). All doses of AEPO, MEPO, fractions and the active principles caused significant decreases in sperm counts, motility and viability, but caused no significant changes in litter size. There were reductions in testicular germinal epithelial heights with no visible lesions in the kidney and liver. Portulaca oleracea extracts and its fractions caused deleterious effects on blood chemistry and male reproductive parameters probably due to the actions of the three isolated active principles of the plant.