Antioxidant and Anti-Anemic Effects of Ethanol Leaf Extracts of Mucuna poggei and Telfairia occidentalis in Phenyl-Hydrazine-Induced Anemia in Wistar Albino Rats

Abstract Introduction  With the use of recent therapeutic data, several methods for finding medications from untapped natural materials continue to advance research and development. The antioxidant and antianemic effects of ethanol leaf extracts of Telfairia occidentalis and Mucuna poggei in phenylhydrazine-induced anemia in Wister albino rats were investigated. Method  A total of 54 male albino rats were randomly assigned to nine experimental groups ( n  = 6). Anemia was induced in groups 2 to 9 with 10 mg/kg body weight of phenylhydrazine. Group 1 (normal control) rats were administered normal saline only. Group 2 (anemic control) rats were untreated. Group 3 (standard controls) rats were treated with a standard multivitamin, groups 4, 5, and 6 rats were treated with varying doses of M. poggei leaf extract respectively, while groups 7, 8, and 9 rats were treated with similar doses of T. occidentalis leaf extract by oral intubation for 21 days. Results Earlier, the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis indicated eighteen (18) and twenty-nine (29) active compounds present in M. poggei and T. occidentalis , respectively . More so, T. occidentalis and M. poggei were studied for their inhibitory potentials against 2,2-diphenyl-1 picrylhydrazyl-free radicals, nitric oxide, phosphomolybdenum, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power. M. poggei and T. occidentalis also showed the following trend of minerals Mg > Ca > Fe > Na > Zn > Mn > K and Mg > Fe > Ca > Na > K > Mn > Zn, respectively. The results also showed that the packed cell volume, red blood cells, and hemoglobin significantly ( p  < 0.05) decreased in anemic control rats compared with normal controls and were significantly ( p  < 0.05) increased on treatment with the leaf extracts. Catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase activities, and glutathione levels significantly ( p  < 0.05) decreased in anemic control, compared with normal. However, these significantly ( p  < 0.05) increased on treatment with the leaf extracts in a dose-independent manner. Malondialdehyde levels took the reverse trend. Conclusion  This study indicated that leaf extracts of M. poggei and T. occidentalis can be used in the management of anemia and oxidative stress-related complications