Preventive effects of Tephrosia lupinifolia DC. on haematological alterations induced by cadmium in Sprague-Dawley rats

Introduction: Cadmium is known to be one of the most noxious environmental and industrial pollutant. Cigarette smoke and food products are the major sources of cadmium exposure in non-occupationally exposed people. Tephrosia lupinifolia DC. (Fabaceae) is commonly known as Fish poison. It has usage in treatment of diarrhea, stomachache, urinary disorders, asthma and rheumatism. Objectives: This investigation was aimed to examine the protective potentials of Tephrosia lupinifolia DC. against cadmium-induced changes in haematological parameters of Sprague-Dawley rats. Methodology: In present study, male rats (n=30) were taken and equally divided into five groups. Rats were orally administrated with relevant doses of methanolic extract of Tephrosia lupinifolia (25, 50 mg/kg bw) for 7 days and then CdCl2 (4 mg/kg) was intravenously injected to produce acute toxicity. At the end of experiment, rats were dissected to collect blood for haematological analysis. Results: Cadmium treatment caused significant decline of RBCs (P=0.002), PCV and Hb concentration (P=0.0001) as compared to control. It also elevates the WBC count (P<0.001), concentration of lymphocytes, neutrophil percentages, MCV, MCHC and MCH values (P=0.05). The changes induced by cadmium in different haematological parameters were improved in the rats treated with Tephrosia lupinifolia. Conclusion: The outcomes of this study recommended that methanolic extract of Tephrosia lupinifolia (TLME) ameliorates the harmful effects of CdCl2 on blood parameters which can be credited to the presence of different phytochemical constituents in it.