Effects of fermented Crescentia cujete L. on the profile of hematology, clinical chemistry, and circulatory CD4+/CD8+ in Sprague Dawley rats.

Abstract

Background: The calabash (Crescentia cujete L.) is a tropical fruit that offers numerous health benefits. Its fermented calabash (FC) has been found to affect the neurological system positively. However, its impact on hematology, clinical chemistry, and CD4+ and CD8+ levels has yet to be documented.

Aim: Therefore, this study aims to examine the effects of FC on hematology, clinical chemistry, and the levels of CD4+ and CD8+ in the circulatory system using rat models.

Methods: This study used twenty male Sprague Dawley rats. The rats were divided into group 1 (0 mg/kg BW FC), group 2 (50 mg/kg BW FC), group 3 (500 mg/kg BW FC), and group 4 (2,000 mg/kg BW FC). The treatment was administered using a gastric probe once daily for 14 days. On day 15, the blood samples were collected and tested against hematology, clinical chemistry, quality of the erythrocytes, and CD4+/CD8+. The data were then analysed using SPSS with p-value at 0.05.

Results: The conducted study demonstrated that the utilization of FC at varying doses did not have a significant impact on the hematological profile changes (p ≥ 0.05), except for total lymphocytes and a decrease in the neutrophils/lymphocytes (N/L) ratio (p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, FC did not influence the changes in clinical chemistry, circulatory protein, and electrolyte levels in rat models compared to the control (p ≥ 0.05). The utilization of FC decreased the percentage of hemolysis and elevated the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration (p ≤ 0.05). Additionally, the use of FC led to a significant increase in CD4+ and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ (p ≤ 0.05), while no significant effect was observed regarding CD8+ (p ≥ 0.05).

Conclusion: The study highlighted FC's beneficial effects on the haemorheology and immune system, specifically on the decrease in the percentage of hemolysis, elevated ATP concentration, number of lymphocytes, ratio N/L, CD4+, and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio, without causing significant changes to the hematological and clinical chemistry profiles in rat models.