Evaluation of Associated Changes on Haematological Profile of Wistar Rats Fed Curcuma longa (Turmeric) Rhizome Powder

Abstract

Turmeric spice has a diverse array of biological activities. The present study evaluated body weight and haematological impact of Curcuma longa (Turmeric) in male albino rats using  standard analytical methods. Twenty four healthy male albino rats were used for the study.  Results shows no significant increase in body weight in the first week of dieting while a gradual increase     was observed with increasing weeks of dieting.  Treatment with the powder did not significantly (P ≥ 0.05) alter the levels of hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cells (RBC) and means corpuscular volume (MCV) of the rats. The result also showed a significant (p ≤ 0.05) increase in the platelets and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations (MCHC). However, the white blood cells (WBC) and the packed cell volume (PCV) concentrations were slightly reduced. This study   suggests that adding Curcuma longa (Turmeric) at 50, 100, 200 mg/kg body weight within the duration of study could positively affect the hematological parameters and general well being of the body.