To determine the ameliorative effect of coconut water on haematobiochemical
changes due to lead poisoning in wistar albino rats for six weeks, sixty rats were assigned to
four groups. 0.10g/l of lead and 75ml coconut (
cocus nucifera
l.) water were given orally for six
weeks. The mean values of red blood cells, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular
haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, red blood cell distribution width
and platelets (8.10±0.63(×10
6μl), 52.7±0.87(μm
3), 17.9±0.56(pg), 34.73±0.65(g/dl),
17.90±0.67(%) and 670.00±42.22(×10
3μl) respectively) reduced in lead treated rats when
compared with control mean values (8.41 ± 0.90(×10
6μl), 56.60 ± 1.55(μm
3), 19.33 ± 0.82(pg),
34.93 ± 0.90(g/dl), 18.27 ± 0.73(%) and 818.33± 123.68(×10
3μl) respectively ) and these values
increased in75ml coconut water only group and the group of 0.10g/l lead + 75ml coconut water
except mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, and red
blood cell distribution width of the 75ml coconut water only. The mean values of white blood
cells, lymphocytes, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low
density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol/high density lipoproteincholesterol
and total cholesterol/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol increased
(12.23±0.57(×10
3μl), 79.83±3.87(%), 64.66±6.01(mg/dl), 89.00±7.94(mg/dl),
22.67±6.93(mg/dl), 21.00±4.58(mg/dl), 1.29±0.62 and 3.36±0.83 respectively ) in the lead
group when compared with mean values of control group (5.83±0.74(×10
3μl), 69.07±10.57(%),
54.00±4.04(mg/dl), 97.33±11.34(mg/dl), 20.00±3.06(mg/dl), 17.00±6.51(mg/dl), 0.97±0.41 and
2.87±0.55 respectively) but the mean values decreased when compared with the mean values of
group of 75ml coconut water only and group of 0.10g/l lead + 75ml coconut water, except the
mean values of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol. These results indicate that coconut water
could ameliorate effects of lead toxicity