ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the Full Blood Count, Clotting Times and Antiplatelet activities of rats supplemented with Garcinia kola seed extract on male Albino rats(18 rats) weighting between 200-240g, purchased from the animal house of University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The animals were acclimated for I week and was fed with ad libitum rat chows and drinking water. The animals were divided into 3 groups (n=6) as follows: Group A: fed with ad libitum chows and water only (Control Group). Group B: administered with 200mg/kg of Garcina Kola seed extract and ad libitum chows per day, Group C: administered with 400mg/kg of Garcinia kola seed extract and ad libituni chows per day. The animals were dosed daily for 2 weeks. After two (2) weeks the rats where sacrificed the next day after ether anesthesis and blood was withdrawn by cardiac puncture and stored in EDTA tubes (ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid) for the full blood count (FBC) quantification and clotting time assay. The result of the full blood count shows that there was a significant increase (p<O.05) in the Hb, PCV, RBC, WBC, and platelet count of the rats at a dose-dependent manner of the rats administered with the extract compared to the control. The result of the clotting time also revealed a dose-dependent decrease (p<O.05) in the clotting time of the rats administered with the extract compared to the control. Our results showed that the ethanol extract of Garcinia Icola has clotting time reduction activity and provide scientific basis for traditional use of Garcinia kola for treatment of thrombotic diseases. The findings suggested that Garcinia kola seed have no possible adverse effects on the rats and has more beneficial effect as evident on the significant increase in the haematological profile investigated.