Impact of oral administration of bromelain-derived bitter gourd seed protein hydrolysate on some Hematological parameters in healthy Wister albino rats

Momordica charantia has long been abused in northern Nigeria for treating diabetes mellitus, cancer, irregular stomach, fever, and birth control. It has been noted that the majority of those affected are those living in rural areas where access to modern medical facilities is limited, with 80% of them depending on traditional medicine. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of oral administration of bromelain-derived better gourd seed protein hydrolysate on some hematological parameters in healthy wister albino rats. Bromelain-derived better gourd seed protein hydrolysate was produced by hydrolysis of better gourd seed using bromelain enzyme. Fifty (50) healthy wister albino rats were grouped according to their body weights. Normal control group was administered orally with distilled water daily for twenty-eight (28) days. Test groups T100, T200, T400 and T800 were administered orally with 100, 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight of bromelain-derived better gourd seed protein hydrolysate for twenty-eight (28) days respectively. The rats were humanely sacrificed, blood samples were collected through cervical dislocation, for evaluation of some hematological parameters (red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), hemoglobin (HB), packed cell volume (PCV), platelet (PLT), cholesterol (CHOL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TG), urea, creatinine, alanine aminotransferases (ALAT) and aspartate aminotransferases (ASAT). One-way ANOVA was used to compare the mean of some of the hematological parameters. It was observed that bromelain-derived better gourd seed protein hydrolysate elevates the white blood cell (WBC) count and packed cell volume (PCV) when compared to the normal control group at doses of 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight. There was an increase in the value of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (ALAT and ASAT respectively) in groups treated with higher dose of 800 mg/kg body weight bromelain-derived bitter gourd seed protein hydrolysate when compared to the normal control group. It was also observed that the red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (HB), platelet (PLT), cholesterol (CHOL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), triglycerides (TG), urea, and creatinine of the groups treated with bromelain-derived better gourd seed protein hydrolysate showed no significant changes in values when compared to the normal control group. The bromelain-derived better gourd seed protein hydrolysate at high dose has potential in elevating some of the hematological parameters (WBC, PCV, ALAT, and ASAT) which might have toxic effect on the liver and hematopoietic system.