EFFECTS OF SPONDIAS MOMBIN ETHANOLIC LEAF EXTRACT ON HAEMOSTATIC AND HAEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF ALLOXAN-INDUCED DIABETIC MALE WISTAR RATS.

80 PAGES (17702 WORDS) Physiology Thesis
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CHAPTERONE
1.1INTRODUCTION.
Haemostasisisthatbodilymechanismthatpreventsexcessivebloodlossfromthebody
duringdamagetotissues.Thehaemostaticsystemrepresentsadelicatebalancebetweenpro-
coagulantandanti-coagulantmechanismslinkedtoaprocessoffibrinolysis(Sandhyarani&
Kumar2014).Therearefivemajorcomponentsinvolvedinthehaemostaticsystemandthese
includes;platelets,coagulationfactors,coagulationinhibitors,fibrinolysisandblood
vessels(Guyton&Hall2006).Haemostasisisalifesavingprocessandso,thestudyof
substancesthatfacilitateitsprocessisofmedicinalimportance(Sandhyarani&Kumar2014).
Thehealingpowersembeddedinplantshavebeenstudiedforcenturies,withmost
pharmaceuticaldrugsderivedfromthem.Medicinalplantsaremostlyusedinruralareas
aroundtheworldespeciallyinthetropics,wherethereisabundanceofflora.Plantsarerelied
uponinalmosteverypartofAfricaforthetreatmentofailmentsanddiseases.Otherslikethe
Anarcardiumoccidentale(Arokoyoetal.2015)andGongronemalatifolium(Oguwikeetal.
2013)arenotablelocallyfortheirabilitytoarrestbleeding.Unfortunately,onlyfewofthese
medicinalplantshavebeenscientificallyvalidated(Tanko,etal.,2007).
AmongstthevarietiesofplantsusedfortheirmedicinalpurposesistheSpondiasmombin.
SpondiasmombinisafructiferoustreehavinghabitatinNigeria,Brazilandseveralother
tropicalforestsintheworld.ThisplantisreadilycommonintheSouth-WestofNigeria
(Yorubalands)andiscommonlyusedinfolkmedicine.Spondiasmombin,commonlyknown
inEnglishasHogplumbelongstothefamilyAnacardiacae.Itgrowsintherainforestandin
thecoastalareas,reachingaheightof15–22mandhasshowntobeveryrichinvitaminsB
1
andC.Itsfruitmostlyexistsinanovalform(Ayokaetal.2008).Intoughclimates,when
freshwaterisunavailable,waterfromtherootsofS.mombin(Spondiasmombin)canbe
drunk.Itsshoottasteslikecassavaandcanbeeatenraworboiled.Theseedsarealsoedible
(Orwaetal.2009).S.mombinistraditionallyusedasapurgative,anthelmintic,analgesic,
haemostaticandremedyforcoughandgonorrhoea(Burkill,1985).Theplantisalsoincluded
inantidiabetic/antihyperglycaemicherbalremediesinarecentethnobotanicalsurveyofSouth
WesternNigeria(Gboladeetal.2011).
Diabetesmellitusisametabolicdisorderthatiscausedbyoxidativestresswhichinduces
insulinresistanceintheperipheraltissuesandimpairsinsulinsecretionfrompancreaticβ-
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cells.Itischaracterisedbychronichighbloodglucose(Hyperglycaemia)thatcouldleadto
morbidityandmortality.Itisalsooneofthemostprevalentdiseasesintheworldaffecting
nearly25%ofthepopulation(Alberti,1998;Wang,etal.,2006).
Diabeticshaveskinulcers,impairedhaemostaticactivitiesandslowwoundhealingasaresult
ofpoorbloodflowlinkedtoinsufficientabnormalangiogenesis(Kotaetal.2012).This
healinginpatientswithdiabetesmellitusischaracterisedbyreducedtensilestrengthof
woundswhencomparedwithhealthyindividuals,suggestingeitherdefectivematrix
productionordeposition(Fergusson,etal.,1996).Alsothereistheproblemoffragilityofthe
epithelialwallofbloodvesselsduetopoorcapillarybedformationbyendothelialcelland
weakreticularnetworkslaidbythefibroblastcoupledwiththeslowwoundhealingandthis
predisposesthepatientinthelongruntohaemorrhagicconditionscharacterisedbyfrequent
blood loss.For example: Diabetic vitreous haemorrhage whichoccurs whenthe retina
becauseofthefragilityofbloodvesselssupplyingitandpoorbloodflowandoxygensupply,
beginstoundergoabnormalangiogenesisorproductionoffragilebloodvessels(whichtends
toruptureeasily)fromtheretina.Thisbloodvesselsdonotsupplytheretinawithoxygen
instead,theyenterthevitreoushumouroftheeyeandcausebloodtoleakintoit,resultingto
suddenlossofvision.Itistheleadingcauseofblindnessindiabeticpatientsbetweentheages
of20-60years(SouthDevonHealthcareNHS2014;Limetal.2015).
Coupledwiththisdeficiency,thereisalsotheproblemofreducedbloodlevelandsevere
derangementinvarioushaematologicalparameters.Thisresultsinthehighprevalenceof
anaemiaidentifiedindiabeticpatients(Al-Khoury,etal.,2006;Ezenwaka,etal.,2008).
About27%ofpatientswithdiabetesareanaemicandthisshowsthehighprecedenceof
haematologicalderangementindiabeticpatients(Dipta,etal.,2009).