A review on the nutraceutical potentials of Daucus carota in the management of sickle cell anaemia

Abstract

Daucus carota (carrot) is a widely distributed and cultivated root crop that is consumed as vegetable for human nutrition and as therapeutic agent because of its rich phytochemical compositions as well as minerals and fatty acids essential for many biochemical processes. It possesses enormous nutritional values as well as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anticancer and antimicrobial activities among other pharmacological properties. The medicinal values of this vegetable hinge on these pharmacological properties, which in turn are due to the numerous bioactive compounds it possesses. There is presently no evidence of the antisickling activity of carrot, even though literatures revealed some of the bioactive compounds responsible for sickling inhibition or reversal, pain relief as well as prevention of endothelial dysfunction and haemolysis of red blood cells, are also contained in carrot. Therefore, this review aimed to explore the nutraceutical potentials of carrot in the management of sickle cell anaemia.