Phytochemical constituents and haematological effect of hydro-ethanolic extract of <i>Newbouldia laevis</i> leaves on glyphosate induced toxicity in rabbit bucks

Abstract

This study analyzed some of the secondary metabolites present in hydro-ethanolic extract of Newbouldia laevis (NBL) leaves and its potential protective effects on the haematological indices of glyphosate herbicide exposed rabbit bucks. To determine the protective effects of NBL against herbicide toxicity, 36 rabbit bucks were randomized into four treatment groups designated as control, glyphosate-only, glyphosate + NBL 100 mg and glyphosate + NBL 200 mg in a completely randomized design experiment. Result of phytochemical screening of NBL showed high presence of flavonoid, terpenoid and phenol. Saponin was found to be moderately present with slight presence of alkaloid, steroid, tannin and cyanogenic glycosides. Acute toxicity evaluation indicated that the extract had a substantial safety margin with a tolerance of up to 1000 mg/kg in Albino rats. The result of glyphosate on haematological indices showed that the herbicide did not significantly (p>0.05) alter most of the measured blood parameters. However, significant (p<0.05) effects were observed on the concentration of lymphocyte and platelet counts. The administration of NBL leaves extract appeared to counteract the adverse effect of glyphosate, as evidenced by the enhanced platelet count in the treated groups. These findings support the traditional use of  NBL in herbal remedies due to its phytochemical composition. It also suggests that glyphosate has minimal toxicity on haematological profile and that NBL leaves may have potential applications in regulating haematological parameters.