Cabbage juice supplementation abrogates Lead acetate-induced haematological and haemorheological imbalances in male Wistar rat

ABSTRACT

Lead is a hazardous naturally found heavy metal that has been reported to induce haematological alterations. Whether cabbage, a commonly consumed vegetable rich in antioxidants and anticancer compounds, can mitigate these alterations remains unknown. This study investigated the protective effect of cabbage juice against Lead-induced haematological changes. Twenty (20) male Wistar rats were randomly selected into four groups (n = 5) and given distilled water (1 ml/100 g b.wt), Lead acetate (25 mg/kg b.wt), Cabbage juice (1 ml/100 g b.wt), and Lead acetate with Cabbage juice. All treatments were given orally for 28 days. Lead exposure induces normocytic normochromic anemia with substantial leukocytosis, lymphocytopenia, and hyperfibrinogenemia. Lead-intoxicated animals had significantly higher haemolysis and prolonged clotting times. However, cabbage juice reverses these adverse haematological and haemorheological changes induced by Lead acetate. Conclusively, cabbage juice demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, and immunomodulatory properties, as well as the ability to protect the red blood cell membrane from damage caused by Lead-induced osmotic stress.

KEYWORDS:

• Haematocytopenia
• leukocytosis
• lymphocytopenia
• Lead acetate
• cabbage
• haemorheology

Acknowledgements

The authors appreciate the technical assistance of Mr Kingsley Etim of the Department of Physiology and Miss. Dagogo Gwendolin of the Department of Pharmacology, PAMO University Medical Sciences, Port-Harcourt.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

All data associated with this study are presented in this manuscript.

Human and animal rights

The study was approved by PAMO University of Medical Sciences Animal Research Ethics Committee [PUMS-AREC/2021/028]. The protocol adheres to the “Guide to the care and use of laboratory animals in research and teaching” as prescribed in NIH publications volume 25 No.28 revised in 1996.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported that there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.