Abstract:
Aim: This study aims to evaluate the membrane stability, phospholipase A2 activity, prostaglandin synthase activity and aggregatory effect of ethanol leaves extract of Sida acuta Burm F. using an in-vitro heamolytic assay.
Materials and methods: Two milliliters of blood collected from a healthy volunteer who has not taken drugs for last two weeks and ethanol extracts leaves of Sida acuta were used in the assay.
Results: Apparently there was platelet aggregation at all but there was no minimal aggregation to denote in samples 1 and 2. There was a decrease in the supernatants of sample 1 of hypotonicity-induced haemolysis of human red blood cells incubated in normal saline but there was a high increase in the supernatants of sample 2 incubated with hypotonic solution. Inclusion of the extract concentrations 2, 4 and 8 mg/ml in the incubation medium (hypotonic solution) in samples 3, 4 and 5 decreased in a concentration dependent fashion. The absorption of haemolysed human red blood cells in isotonic solution showed the OD of 540 nm:630 nm to 2.15 for methaemoglobin while the OD of 540 nm:570 nm was 0.97 for deoxyhaemoglobin. In hypotonic solution where haemoglobin was released, the ratio of 540 nm:630 nm was 4.41 and 540 nm:570 nm was 1.20. The inclusion of the extract concentrations 2, 4 and 8 mg/ml in samples 3, 4 and 5 caused the ratio to decreased from1.69, 1.58 and 0.41 for methaemoglobin and 1.08, 0.86 and 0.41 for deoxyhaemoglobin. There was a decrease in activity of phospholipase A2 in samples 3, 4, 5 and 9 with the extract concentrations 2, 6, 12 and 16 mg/ml respectively but no decrease was observed in samples 6, 7, 8 and 10, though no human red blood cells was included in samples 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. There was a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in prostaglandin synthase activity in sample 4 with extract concentration 25 mg/ml but a non-significant decrease (p > 0.05) was observed in samples 3 and 5.
Conclusion: The extract showed a significant inhibition of in-vitro haemolysis and could have a potential therapeutic effect on disease processes causing destabilization of biological membranes.
