Biology, Medicine, & Natural Product Chemistry  ISSN 2089-6514 (paper) 
Volume 10, Number 1, April 2021 | Pages: 67-71 | DOI: 10.14421/biomedich.2021.101.67-71 ISSN 2540-9328 (online) 
 

 

 

 

Effect of Ethanol Extracts of Musa paradisiaca Fruit Pulp and Peels on 

Haematological Indices and Liver Enzymes of Experimental Rats 

 
Emuesiri Goodies Moke1,*, Emuesiri Kohworho Umukoro1, Evelyn Tarela Ojugbeli2, Theresa Ezedom2, 

Tarela Melish Elias Daubry3, Iziegbe Lisa Omorodion1 
1Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics; 2Department of Medical Biochemistry; 3Department of Physiology,  

Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria 

 

Corresponding author* 
hiligoodies@gmail.com 

 

 
Manuscript received: 12 February, 2021. Revision accepted: 19 July, 2021. Published: 29 July, 2021. 

 

 

Abstract 

 

Medicinal plants usage in traditional medicine has risen over the years. Musa paradisiaca has been reported that it possesses various 

therapeutic efficacies. This study is aimed at evaluating the effect of parts of the ethanol fruit extracts of Musa paradisiaca on 

haematological indices and serum liver enzymes. Thirty Wistar rats were grouped into five groups of six animals each which were 

administered 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of Musa paradisiac fruit (MPF) pulp extract or peel extract. Haematological indices and liver 

enzymes were assayed for at the end of the 14-days experimental period. MPF pulp and MPF peel at 400 mg/kg showed a significant 

(P<0.05) increase in red cell count and haematocrit level as compared to the control. There was a non-significant (P>0.05) increase in 

haemoglobin concentration in the treated rats as compared to the control. There was also a non-significant (P>0.05) change in AST, ALT, 

and ALP level of the treated rats as compared to the control. Fruit pulp and peel of Musa paradisiaca improve erythrocytes count and 

haematocrit level, and they may not be associated with liver toxicity. 

 

Keywords: Anaemia; Haematology; Liver enzymes; Medicinal plants; Musa paradisiaca. 

 

 

INTRODUCTION 
 

Plants possess the ability to synthesize a variety of 

chemical compounds with various biological functions. 

The plant kingdom remains a harvest for many species 

of plants with key medicinal value which are yet to be 

discovered. Reports show that a large population (80%) 

of people in developing countries depend primarily on 

medicinal plants for their primary health care 

(Mahomoodally, 2013; Ekor, 2014). These plants and 

herbs are taken in different ways and forms (whole or in 

parts) for the alternative management of diseases 

traditionally (Benzie and Wachtel-Galor, 2011; 

Emudainohwo et al., 2015; Moke et al., 2019; Okafo et 

al., 2019).  

Musa paradisiaca belongs to Musaceae family and is 

popularly known as plantain. The plant is widely 

distributed in the Southern part of Nigeria, West and 

East Africa, Malaysia, Cameroun and Southern parts of 

United States (Uwaoma, 2003; Nayar, 2010). Musa 

paradisiaca (Plantain) is an important staple crop that 
contributes to the calories and substance economic in 

Africa (Oyeyinka and Afolayan, 2019). Abundant 
medicinal activities of parts of Musa parasidiaca have 

been reported. It has been shown to possess 

hepatoprotective activity (Nirmala et al, 2012; Issa et al., 

2018) as well as antidiabetic (Vilhena et al., 2020), 

antiulcer (Onasanwo et al., 2013; Ezekwesili et al., 

2014; Moke et al., 2017), antimicrobial (Fagbemi et al., 

2009), wound healing (Agarwal et al. 2009), and 

antioxidant properties (Yin et al., 2008).  

The present study is aimed at evaluating the effect of 

parts of the ethanol fruit extracts of Musa paradisiaca 
on haematological indices and serum liver enzymes. 
 
 

MATERIAL AND METHODS 
 

Plant Collection and Preparation 

Musa paradisiaca fruits (unripe) were purchased locally 
from the market, and were identified and authenticated 

by a taxonomist with existing specimen deposited at the 

herbarium of the Department of Botany, Delta State 

University, Abraka, Nigeria. The fruits were rinsed with 

water, and both the fruit pulps and fruit peels were air 

dried. The dried pulps and peels were grinded separately 

into pulverized powder using a grinding machine for 

ease of extraction. 

The powdered materials of Musa paradisiaca fruits 

(400 g each) were separately extracted exhaustively with 
ethanol using Soxhlet extractor at 25 0C. The filtrates 

were concentrated using Rotary evaporator at 40 0C. The 

percentage yields were 8.4% (fruit pulp) and 9.73% 

https://doi.org/10.14421/biomedich.2021.101.67-71


 

 

 

68 Biology, Medicine, & Natural Product Chemistry 10 (1), 2021: 67-71 
 

 

(fruit peel). The concentrated ethanol extracts were 

refrigerated prior to use. 

 
Animals 
Wistar rats (150 – 180 g) were obtained from the 

Animals’ House facility of the Faculty. The animals 

were acclimatized for 7 days prior to the study, and were 

fed with rat feed and clean water ad libitum. Guidelines 

followed in the handling of animals were in accordance 

with the ethical standards of the Institutional Animals 

Ethics Committee (IAEC), as adopted by the ethical 

committee of the Faculty of Basic Medical Science, 

Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria.  

 
Experimental Design  

The animals were divided into five (5) groups of six 

animals each:  

 Group 1 – Normal saline (Control) 10 ml/kg 
 Group 2 – Musa paradisiac fruit pulp extract (MPF 

Pulp) 200 mg/kg 

 Group 3 – Musa paradisiac fruit pulp extract (MPF 
Pulp) 400 mg/kg 

 Group 4 – Musa paradisiac fruit peel extract (MPF 
Peel) 200 mg/kg 

 Group 5 – Musa paradisiac fruit peel extract (MPF 
Peel) 400 mg/kg 

 

The experimental animals were administered the 

extracts orally daily for 14 days according to their body 

weights.  

 
Sample Collection  
At the end of the 14-days treatment period, the animals 

were anesthetized using chloroform. Blood samples 

were collected by cardiac puncture into labeled EDTA 

bottles for haematological analysis and liver function 

tests. 

 
Determination of Haematological Indices  
The method as described by Tietz (1976) and Baker et 

al. (1998) were used for determining the red blood cells 

(RBC) counts, haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, and 

haematocrit level. 

 
Determination of Liver Function Test 

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase 
(AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) in serum were 

determined according to methods described by Reitman 

and Frankel (1957) and Roy (1970). 

 
Statistical Analysis 
Results are presented as the mean ± standard error of the 

mean (SEM). Data were analysed using one-way 
analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s 

post hoc test. P-values < 0.05 were taken as significant. 

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
 

Effect of Ethanol Fruit Extracts of Musa Paradisiaca 

on Haematological Indices of Wistar rats  
Figures 1-3 depict the effect of ethanol fruit extracts 

(pulp and peel) of Musa paradisiaca on the red blood 
cell count, haematocrit level, and haemoglobin 

concentration of normal Wistar rat. MPF Pulp and MPF 

Peel at a dose of 200 mg/kg had a non-significant 

(P>0.05) increase in red blood cell count when 

compared to the control, however, at 400 mg/kg, there 

was a significant (P<0.05) increase in red cell count. 

High dose (400 mg/kg) of both fruit extracts 

significantly (P<0.05) increased the haematocrit level as 

compared to the control. There was a non-significant 

(P>0.05) increase in haemoglobin concentration in the 

treated rats as compared to the control. 

 

G r o u p s

R
e

d
 B

lo
o

d
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e
ll

 (
R

B
C

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o
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 (

×
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1

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/L

)

C
o

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M
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/k

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P

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4
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0
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g
/k

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0

2

4

6

8

*
*

 
Figure 1. The effect of ethanol fruit extracts of Musa paradisiaca on red 

blood cell count of Wistar rats. 

 

G r o u p s

H
a

e
m

a
t
o

c
r
it

 (
%

)

C
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/k

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/k

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/k

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M
P

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4
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0
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g
/k

g

0

2 0

4 0

6 0

* *

 
Figure 2. The effect of ethanol fruit extracts of Musa paradisiaca on 

haematocrit level of Wistar rats. 

 



 

 

 

 Moke, et al. – Effect of Ethanol Extracts of Musa paradisiaca Fruit Pulp and … 69 
 

 

G r o u p s

H
a

e
m

o
g

lo
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 (

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)
 (

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/d

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/k

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0

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1 0

1 5

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Figure 3. The effect of ethanol fruit extracts of Musa paradisiaca on 

heamoglobin concentration of Wistar rats. 
 

 
Blood is composed of a variety of living cells that 

circulate through the heart and the blood vessels 

carrying nutrients, hormones, vitamins, antibodies, heat 

and oxygen to the body’s tissue. The components of 

blood include red blood cells, white blood cells and 

platelets which are suspended in plasma (Basu and 

Kulkarni, 2014). Red cell contains haemoglobin, a 

protein that carries oxygen to all the tissues of the body. 

Haematocrit or packed cell volume is a measurement of 

the proportion of blood that is made up of cells. 

Following centrifugation, it is an estimate of the ratio of 

the volume of red blood cells to the total volume of 

blood (Mondal and Budh, 2020). Haematocrit and 

haemoglobin values are useful for assessing anaemia, 

polycythemia, and also for estimating response to 

treatment (Northrop-Clewes and Thurnham, 2013; 

White, 2018; Mondal and Budh, 2020). Hematopoiesis 

is the process involved in the formation of blood cells 

(Rieger and Schroeder, 2012). This study showed the 

positive effect of the fruit pulp and peel of Musa 

paradisiaca on hematopoiesis. Musa paradisiaca was 
also revealed to have to be non-toxic effect on liver 

enzymes. 

The assessment of haemotological parameters could 

be used to reveal the deleterious effect of foreign 

compounds including plant extract on the blood 

constituent of animals. They can also be used to 

determine possible alteration in the levels of 

biomolecules, metabolic products, as well as 

histomorphology of the organs (Magalhães et al., 2008). 

Following the administration of the extracts, there was 

an increase in red cells count and haematocrit level, 

which was significant at a higher dose of 400 mg/kg as 

compared to the control group. MPF pulp had as better 
increase in red cell count when compared with MPF 

peel, whereas MPF peel showed a much effect in 

increasing the haemotocrit level as compared to MPF 

pulp. The results also revealed an increase in 

haemoglobin concentration (Figures 1-3). These 

increments indicate that M. paradisiaca contains 

phytochemicals that stimulate the synthesis of 

erythrocytes possibly by stimulating erythropoietin 

formation and secretion. Erythropoietin is a glycoprotein 

hormone which stimulates stem cells in the bone 

marrow to produce red blood cells (Ohlsson and Aher, 

2009). 

 

Effect of Ethanol Fruit Extracts of Musa Paradisiaca 

on Serum Liver Enzymes of Wistar rats  
Figure 4 shows the effect of ethanol fruit extracts (pulp 

and peel) of Musa paradisiaca on the liver enzymes of 

normal Wistar rat. There was a non-significant (P>0.05) 

change in AST, ALT, and ALP level of the treated rats 

as compared to the control. 

 

L
iv

e
r
 E

n
z

y
m

e
s

 (
IU

/L
)

A
S

T

A
L
T

A
L
P

0

2 0

4 0

6 0

C o n tr o l

M P F  P u lp  2 0 0 m g /k g

M P F  P u lp  4 0 0 m g /k g

M P F  P e e l 2 0 0 m g /k g

M P F  P e e l 4 0 0 m g /k g

 

 
Figure 4. The effect of ethanol fruit extracts of Musa paradisiaca on liver 

enzymes of Wistar rats. 

 
 

An assessment of the effect of ethanol fruit extracts 

of Musa paradisiaca on liver enzymes of Wistar rats 

showed a non-significant change in serum aspartate 

aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase 

(ALT) and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels of 

the treated rats as compared to the control (Figure 4). 

Serum AST, ALT, and ALP, which are cytoplasmic 

enzymes released into circulation after cellular damage 

are useful enzymes biomarkers in predicting liver 

damage (Ramaiah 2011; Zhao et al., 2018). ALT and 

AST are largely used in the assessment of liver damage 

by drugs or any other hepatotoxins, while ALP is a 

marker enzyme for the plasma membrane and 

endoplasmic reticulum (Giannini et al., 2005; McGill, 

2016). The observed non-significant differences in the 

liver enzymes are an indication that both fruit pulp and 

peels extracts of Musa paradisiaca are non-toxic to the 
hepatic cells, thus, suggesting that Musa paradisiaca 

fruit extracts may not possess hepatotoxic effects, 

perhaps, a protective effect by stabilization of plasma 

membrane thereby preserving the structural integrity of 

the cell (Pari and Murugen, 2004). This is corroborated 
by the findings of Iweala et al (2011) which reported 

significantly reduced liver enzymes level with the 

consumption of a Musa paradisiaca-supplemented diet 

by Wistar rats. The hepatoprotective properties of Musa 



 

 

 

70 Biology, Medicine, & Natural Product Chemistry 10 (1), 2021: 67-71 
 

 

paradisiaca against experimentally induced hepatotoxic 
models have also been reported (Nirmala et al., 2012) 
 
 

CONCLUSION 
 

This study evaluated the effect of ethanol fruit extracts 

of Musa paradisiaca on haematological indices and 

serum liver enzymes. Fruit pulp and peel of Musa 
paradisiaca improve erythrocytes count and haematocrit 

level, and they may not be associated with liver toxicity. 

Fruits of Musa paradisiaca can be used as food therapy 
in raising red cells synthesis in anaemic conditions. 
 
 

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that there are 

no conflicts of interest concerning the publication of this 

article. 
 
 

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