Anti-sickling effect of Vigna subterranean (L.) Verdc on sickle cell beta thalassemia

Sickle cell disease affects millions of people worldwide and has been recognized as a global health concern by WHO. Presently, there is no cure for sickle cell disease. Treatment options which include bone marrow, stem cell transplantation, blood transfusions, and hydroxyurea are not only expensive but have their side effects. Medicinal plants are often employed in the treatment of diseases because of the therapeutic effects of the secondary metabolites in them. Vigna subterranean an important leguminous crop in Africa, is used in some parts of the world for the treatment and management of sickle cell disease. However, there are no established link between the use of Vigna subterranean and their pharmacological effects. The present study investigated the therapeutic effect of Vigna subterranean on a variant of sickle cell disease known as sickle cell beta thalassemia. Parameters such as reversibility test, polymerization test, osmotic fragility test, deoxygenation test, beta synthesis and oxy-haemoglobin concentration were used to study the anti-sickling potentials of sickle cell beta thalassemia. The result showed that the plant extract reversed the sickled cells, reduced the rate of polymerization, maintained the stability of the cell membrane, increased beta globin synthesis and increased the oxy-haemoglobin concentration. This suggests that Vigna subterranean possesses anti-sicking properties and could be used as an effective therapeutic for the treatment and management of sickle cell beta thalassemia.