ISSN: 2574-2701
Authors: Olaniru BO, Ocholi MI, Etukudoh NS, Dawud AF, Iheanacho CU, Obeta MU*, Ugwu BK and Ntuhun BD
Nsukka palm oil (red palm oil -RPO) has been described as one of the best RPO in Nigeria. It has been the most expensive RPO among others. RPO has an antioxidant activity. Paracetamol equally has been one of the most commonly used analgesic and antipyretic drug that has been highly abused because of self-medication among Nigerians. The study was aimed at discovering the RPO effect on the toxicity of paracetamol in haematological parameters. Twenty albino Wister rats, divided into four groups of five rats each were used in this study, the first group was the control group while the rest group were the experimental groups, group 3 and 4 were pretreated with 1ml and 2ml red palm oil respectively, however on the fifth day 3g/kg body weight of oral paracetamol was given to group 2, 3 and 4. Haematological parameters - red blood cell count, white blood cell count and white cells differential count were also assayed using routine methods. The group with 1ml RPO showed significance (5.10±0.04) P<0.05 of RBC when compared with control (4.66.10±0.05) and paracetamol (4.88±0.05) groups. The group with 2ml RPO (9.02±0.05), 1ml RPO (8.98±0.05) showed significance at P<0.05 when compared with groups Control (6.06±0.05) and Paracetamol (7.40±0.23) in WBC counts. The group with 1ml RPO (65.02±1.05) showed significance at P<0.05 in neutrophil when compared with control (63.00±0.63) and Paracetamol (62.90±0.84) and 1ml RPO (20.60±0.81) showed significance at P<0.05 in lymphocyte count when compared with control (22.20±0.80) and Paracetamol (23.80±0.37). RPO has effects on haematological parameters especially on albino rats treated with paracetamol and can be volume dependent based on the weights. Nsukka red palm oil could be recommended in paracetamol toxicity in animals and man.
Keywords: Nsukka; Red Palm Oil; Haematological Parameters; Paracetamol; Albino Rats
