ABSTRACT

So many plants have been discovered to possess anti-sickling agents as a result of their usage in the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) in rural African homes. There is the need for further investigation into other plants that can be used in the treatment of sickle cell disease. This study investigated the methanol extracts of the seeds of B. coriacea (sample A) and M. pruriens (sample B) for their possible in vitro anti-sickling effects. Preliminary investigations of the constituents of the plant seeds were done. Amino acid analyses of both samples showed the presence of anti-sickling amino acids: phenylalanine, lysine, leucine, aspartate, serine, arginine and tyrosine.  Minerals and vitamins were quantitatively analysed. Samples A and B contained potassium (18.30 ± 2.00 mg/100g and 15.37 ± 0.55 mg/100g), calcium (37.90 ± 1.51 mg/100g and 35.50 ± 1.80 mg/100g), zinc (123.43 ± 1.07 mg/100g and 110.60 ± 3.57 mg/100g), iron (32.90 ± 2.14 mg/100g and 114.37 ± 37.6.47 mg/100g), magnesium (20.37 ± 0.38 mg/100g and 20.27 ± 0.41 mg/100g) and sodium (38.60 ± 0.92 mg/100g and 35.80 ± 1.68 mg/100g) respectively. They also contained vitamin A (35.73 ± 1.06 µg/ml and 73.49 ± 0.51 µg/ml), vitamin B₁ (52.31 ± 22.96 µg/ml and 147.35 ± 50.73 µg/ml), vitamin B₂ (10.01 ± 2.28 µg/ml and 44.47 ± 3.94 µg/ml), vitamin B₃ (14.70 ± 0.40 µg/ml for sample B) and vitamin C (0.878 ± 0.02 µg/ml and 0.490 ± 0.01 µg/ml) respectively. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses were carried out. Both samples had tannins, saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, acidic compounds, phenolics, steroids, reducing sugars, carbohydrates and glycosides with M. pruriens sample having higher concentrations of each of them except glycosides. Proximate analysis of samples A and B also showed high percentage of carbohydrates (56.86% and 61.43%) respectively. Sickle cell blood from SCD patients were obtained from a hospital and treated with sodium metabisulphite (2%) to induce further sickling. The red blood cells were treated with varying concentrations (50%, 25%, 12.5% and 6.25%) of the extracts. Both extracts significantly (P<0.05) inhibited sickling, reversed sickling of erythrocytes and reduced the rate of polymer formation at all the concentrations used with M. pruriens extract showing higher effects. The solubility of haemoglobin S was significantly (P<0.05) increased when treated with M. pruriens extract at all the concentrations used while B. coriacea extract did not increase the solubility at 6.25% concentration. Osmotic fragility graphs show that these plant extracts may have the ability to reduce haemolysis as well as protect red cell integrity (at lower concentrations). The Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ ratio was increased at all the concentrations used by both extracts with M. pruriens extract giving rise to higher ratios. These results indicate that B. coriacea and M. pruriens have the potentials of being used in the management of sickle cell disease.