HEMATOLOGICAL AND HEPATOTOXIC EFFECTS OF SILKEN STYLES OF CORN IN ALBINO-RATS

The alterations of haematological parameters in albino rats were studied after oral administration of an aqueous extract of silken styles of corn (Zea maize Linn.) at 50, 100 and 150 mg kg-1 daily for 21 days. The following haematological values were significantly reduced on the 7th and 21st day following extract administration: haemoglobin (Hb), red blood corpuscles (RBC), clotting time (CT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), haematocrit (Ht), serum glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), cholesterol, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), calcium, total protein, total albumin and total acid phosphatase; and white blood corpuscles (WBC), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), alkaline phosphatase and creatinine increased. The remaining parameters were not significantly affected, except body weight parameters at the two highest doses. The results emphasize that the biochemical changes caused through aqueous extract of silken styles of corn (Zea maize Linn.) are not significantly toxic at low and medium doses (50 and 100 mg kg-1).