In Vitro Methaemoglobin Reducing Potential of Crude Methanolic Extract and Fractions of Sterculiasetigera Leaf on Human Sickled Red Blood Cells

Sickle cell disease is a group of related heamoglobin disorders prominent amongst them is sickle cell anaemia, also known as depranocytosis.Sickle cell anaemia disorder in which the SS individual possesses an abnormal beta globin gene resulting from a single base substitution in the gene encoding the human B-globin subunit 2010).Under deoxygenated condition, t substitution causes a drastic reduction in the solubility of sickle cell haemoglobin haemoglobin molecules polymerize to form crystalline intracellular mass of fibr deformation of the normal bioconcave shape erythrocyte into a sickle shape Sickle cell anaemia patients suffer from painful crisis, acute chest syndrome and malfunctioning of organs including the spleen, heart and brain as well as from degeneration of the bone (Written and Bertles, 1989).leads to poor quality of life and span with an average life expectancy of 40 to 50 years (Platt et al, 1994).Globally, more than 50 million people are actually affected by sickle cell anaemia (Diop et al, 2000).Nigeria remain the most affected by this disorder with more than 3 % of its population is affected (Ibrahim et al ABSTRACT Sickle cell anaemia is a hereditary disease affecting the red blood cells as a result of acquisition of a mutant β-globin gene, one sickle cell anaemia is abnormally high concentration of methaemoglobin in the circulating red blood cells. Treatments for sickle cell anaemia are complex and expensive, Hence, cheap alternative remedies have to be identified. This study evaluated the methaemoglobin concentration of sodium metabisulphite sickled erythrocytes in the presence of methanolic extract and fractions ofSterculia setigera leaf at concentrations of 0.2mg/ml, 0.4mg/ml, 0.6mg/ml, 0.8mg/ml, and 1mg/ml which showed that a significant (p<0.05)difference existed between the methanolic extract and fractions except for n hexane and butanolic fractions and the control.The results obtained from this study show the capacity of Sterculia setigera in preventing haemoglobin oxidation to form methaemoglobin, hense its usefulness in the management of sickle cell anaemia by some traditional doctors in northern Nigeria.