Abstract:
In Tanzania, Albizia lebbeck is among the multipurpose plant used for treatment of
various diseases and as a fodder. However, scientific information on the effects of this
plant in the animal body is non-existent. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate
the effects of methanol extracts of stem barks (SB) and leaves of Albizia lebbeck on
haematological parameters and histological structure of digestive organs in rats. Sixty rats
were randomly allotted into ten groups (I-X) of six rats each. Methanol extracts of SB and
leaves of
A. lebbeck were administered orally at doses of 100 mg/kg and
400 mg/kg to the experimental groups and the control groups received distilled water
orally for five and 30 days. On days six and 31, rats were sacrificed and blood samples
were collected into tripotassium ethylenediamine tetraacetate tubes for haematological
analysis and tissue samples from the digestive organs (liver, stomach and jejunum) were
immersion-fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin for histopathological evaluation.
Results revealed that, after five days of treatment, both extracts of A. lebbeck significantly
(P<0.05) increased thrombocytes and plateletcrit at 400 mg/kg, and platelets distribution
width (PDW) at 400 mg/kg SB compared to the control group. After 30 days of treatment,
both extracts significantly (P<0.05) increased leucocytes at 100 mg/kg, lymphocytes and
eosinophils at 400 mg/kg, also eosinophils and haematocrit at 100 mg/kg leaves, and
erythrocytes at 100 mg/kg SB compared to the control group. Both extracts significantly
(P<0.05) decreased mean corpuscular volume, mean platelet volume, and PDW at 100
mg/kg, monocytes at 100 mg/kg SB, and monocytes and neutrophils at 400 mg/kg leaves
compared to the control group. Other haematological parameters changed insignificantly
(P>0.05) at both doses and treatment durations. Histopathological lesions in the liver
including empty spaces in cytoplasm of hepatocytes, sinusoids compression, necrosis, and
inflammatory cells infiltration were observed for both extracts. There was no significant
histopathological lesion in the stomach and jejunum at both doses and treatment
durations. Therefore, prolonged use of both extracts should be discouraged because may
affects haematological parameters and the liver.
