Co-Administration of Crude Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Ageratum conyzoides ameliorates Nigerian Bonnylight Crude Oil-Induced Erythrocyte Haemolysis in Female Wistar Rats

This study focused on the osmotic fragility of erythrocytes and its indices in rats treated with ethanolic leaf extract of Ageratum conyzoides following the administration of Nigerian Bonnylight crude oil (NBLCO). Twenty female Wistar rats (120-150g body weight) were divided into four groups of five rats each. The rats in group I served as the control group and was oral gavaged 3ml/kg of normal saline; group II gavaged 748.33mg/kg body weight of the extract of A. conyzoides, which was 20% of the LD50 (3741.66mg/kg). Group III was gavaged 3ml/kg body weight of NBLCO. This dose was calculated as 20% of the lethal dose of 14.14 ml/kg. Group IV animals were gavaged 748.33mg/kg body weight of the extract of A. conyzoides, and 3ml/kg body weight of NBLCO. In all cases, doses were applied daily for 31 days according to animal’s most recent body weight. The results showed that NBLCO significantly increased osmotic fragility while reducing erythrocyte parameters and indices evaluated compared with control group (normal saline) and A. conyzoides group (group II) (p<0.05). A. conyzoides supplementation helped in increasing these parameters significantly (p<0.05). The results of this study provides evidence that NBLCO has a damaging effect on blood as it can negatively interfere with the functionality of the red blood cell membranes causing haemolysis and ultimately resulting in anaemia. The co-administration of ethanol leaf extract of A. conyzoides has the potential to mitigate this damaging effect of NBLCO to erythrocytes.