Evaluation and Comparison of the effects of Low and High doses of Emblica officinalis (Amla) on White Cell Parameters in Animal Model

Abstract

Objective: To study and compare the effects of low and high doses of Emblic myrobalan (Amla) extract on the white blood cells in laboratory animals.

Study Design: Experimental study on an animal model.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmacology and animal house of Baqai Medical University, Karachi from July 2017 to August 2018.

Methodology: Twenty-seven male rabbits of 1-2 kg body weight were taken and equally divided into 3 groups (group A, B and C). Acute inflammation was induced in group B and C animals by injecting commercially available bacterial lipopolysaccharide solution. Group A served as the control group, group B (Low dose group) was receiving oral Emblica officinalis drug in a dose of 2g/Kg body weight while group C (high dose group) was administered a drug dose of at 4g/Kg body weight. Powdered Emblica officinalis was mixed with water and administered orally with the syringe for 60 days. Blood samples were drawn via cardiac puncture on day 61 for the determination of white cell parameters. The results were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) v21.

Results:  Administration of low dose amla extract resulted in no change in WBCs count (p- value =0.363) and increase in lymphocyte (p- value = 0.05). Administration of high dose amla produced significant decrease in WBCs count (p- value = 0.03) and lymphocytes parameters (p- value = 0.05).

Conclusions: Amla may be used to decrease white cells count lymphocytes in acute and chronic infections.