Impact of the use of Persea americana (avocado) leaf extract to treat anemia: A clinical trial in mice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18686/fnc271Keywords:
anemia; hemoglobin; traditional medicine; avocado leaves; iron supplementAbstract
Anemia remains a global disease burden, with Sub-Saharan Africa having the highest prevalence. In recent years, African traditional medicines have been researched for their potential to increase universal health coverage. This study assessed the effectiveness of avocado leaf extract on the hemoglobin level in mice with anemia induced using phenylhydrazine. Anemia was induced in 15 mice using the intraperitoneal injection of 2.5% phenylhydrazine at a dose of 40 mg/kg. The mice were divided into three groups: Group A was the control group, which received no treatment, while Group B received an iron supplement and Group C received avocado leaf extract. Blood samples were analyzed using a HemoCue machine. Analysis of data was done using the analysis of variance and the t-test. The avocado leaf extract was found to increase the hemoglobin level by 2.5 ± 1.6 g/dl (p = 0.031), while the iron supplement increased the hemoglobin level by 2.9 ± 1.9 g/dl (p < 0.001), as compared with that of the control. Compared with the avocado leaf extract, the iron tablets increased the hemoglobin level by 0.3 ± 1.1 g/dl (p = 0.951). A mean of 2.9 ± 0.02 mg/L of iron was found in the avocado leaf extract used in this study. The phytochemical analysis detected the presence of flavonoids and alkaloids in the avocado leaf extract. The study reveals the potential of avocado leaf extract in reversing anemia. Further studies are recommended to validate the adequate dose of avocado leaf extract in treating anemia.
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