African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines African Ethnomedicines Network ISSN: 0189-6016 Vol. 2, Num. 3, 2005, pp. 269-273

 Short communication      

A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF PUMPKIN (UGU-TELFAIRA OCCIDENTALS) MILK AND RAW EGG MIXTURE IN THE TREATMENT  OF ANAEMIC PREGNANT WOMEN IN A RURAL AREA.  

Mathew Folaranmi Olaniyan  and Adewumi  Adeleke,

Baptist  Medical Centre, P. M. B.  43,  Saki,  Oyo State,  Nigeria.
E-mail: olaniyanmat@yahoo.com 

Code Number: tc05030

Abstract

Thirty anaemic pregnant women aged 29.5± 6.5 years with baseline mean packed cell volume (PCV) of 20.8 ± 2.0% were  studied. Freshly prepared Ugu (pumpkin-Telfaira  occidentalis) mixture containing ugu (pumpkin) fluid, raw content of egg and peak evaporated unsweetened milk was administered orally to each of the pregnant women three times  in a day for seven days. Packed cell volume was carried out  by capillary tube method. There was an observed significantly  mean  value of PCV (29.5 ± 2.2% ) a day following the administration of the mixture ( P < 0.05). The use of the mixture in the treatment of anaemia would reduce exposure to the risk of HIV/AIDS and Hepatities B infections that could occur with blood transfusion. 

Key words:Pumpkin leaves,  Anaemia, Pregnancy, Milk,  Raw egg,   PCV

Nutrition during pregnancy is significant, physically and psy chologically, for both the mother and the infant in-utero ( Davis and infection (Flores,1990,andBennett and BrRubin, 1992; WHO, 1996; DeMaeyer and Adiels-Tegman, 1985). Worldwide anaemia is the commonest red blood cell disorder. It occurs when the concentration of hemoglobin falls below what is normal for a person ‘s age gender and environment resulting in the oxygen–carrying capacity of the blood being reduced (Cheesbrough,2002) Hemoglobin levels fall in normal pregnancy due to an increase in plasma volume (Davis and Rubin,1962and Robertson,1969 ). Anaemic persons are easily fatigued, have little energy to work, are often breathless on exertion, have palpitation and experience headaches and dizziness. There is also severe pallor of the skin, mucous membranes and conjunctivitis (Cheesbrough,2002; andFlores,1990 ) Pregnant women with untreated anaemia are at increased risk of dying during or following childbirth (particularly when complicated) or giving birth prematurely or to an infant with low birth weight (Cheesbrough ,2002) .

There is also an increased risk of puerperalown,1999 ) Anaemia is present when the haemoglobin concentration falls below 11.0g/dl in pregnant women (WHO,1996,DeMaeyer and Adiels-Tegman,1985;Cheesbrough,2002;Bennett and Brown,1999 and WHO,1996[NUT/96,12] ) Anaemia is described as mild when the haemoglobin is between 10g/dl and 11g/dl, moderate when it is between 7.0-10.0g/dl and severe when below 7.0g/dl (WHO,1996;DeMaeyer and Adiels-Tegman,1985 and WHO,1996[NUT/96,12] ).

The main causes of anaemia in tropical countries are malnutrition including iron, folate and protein deficiency, parasitic, bacteria and viral infections, inherited haemoglobinopathies, Glucose 6 phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme and obstetric complications (Cheesbrough ;2002 ). Anaemia in pregnancy may be physiological or due to iron deficiency, folic acid deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, haemoglobinnopathies and other rare inherited disorders (Bennett and Brown,1999).

Local studies have shown that fluted pumpkin (Telfaira occidentalis) leaves popularly called “ugu” is efficient in building up or renewing cells and tissues as well in the treatment of anaemia (Ukwuoma and Mauaya,2005 and Beck,1980 ). The incidence of anaemia in pregnancy reported by Aluka et al (2001) was 29%, with the vast majority (97.6%) having mild anaemia. According to Aluka et al (2001), the anaemic pregnant women were in the age range of 26-30years and most of the patients were traders and the most commonly associated condition was nutritional deficiency followed by malaria. This study was designed to measure the relevance of the nutritional value of Ugu (Telfaira occidentalis) leaves, milk and raw content of local egg mixture in the treatment of anaemic pregnant women in rural communities.

Subjects/ study area 

Thirty out of fifty anaemic women with normal pregnancy aged 29.5±6.5 years of with mean haematocrit [packed cell volume (PCV)] of 20.8 ± 2.0% attending antenatal clinic of Baptist Medical Center, Saki – Oyo state were successfully monitored and studied for the study. Twenty of the fifty women were intolerant to the mixture because most of the twenty subjects presented with diarrhoea and vomiting after administration.

Extraction of ugu  (pumpkin) fluid and the preparation/ administration of ugu mixture.   

The leaves of “ugu” (pumpkin) plucked from the stem were thoroughly washed in a clean and sterile water.  The water was then drained from the leaves .The leaves were also, at this stage, grinded using electric grinder popularly known as blender. The grinded “ugu” (pumpkin) leaves were pressed on a filter to obtain the fluid portion of the vegetable plant as the extract. Two hundred milliliters (200mls) of the undiluted liquid extract of the ugu   (pumpkin) leaves was mixed with a tin (150mls) of peak evaporated unsweetened full cream milk (produced by Friesland Coberco Dairy Foods, Pstuyvesan-tweg, 18937AC Leeuwarden, Holland). To the above mixture was also added a raw content of an egg of  a local  chicken . The mixture was stirred thoroughly and administered. The above procedure was observed daily for each of the test subjects because the ugu mixture has to be freshly prepared. The whole of the freshly prepared ugu mixture as described was administered orally to each of the pregnant women in three divided doses within one day (i.e. taken three times in a  day). The mixture preparation and administration on daily basis was repeated for each of the pregnant women for seven days. They were closely monitored and the ugu mixture was well tolerated by them. 

Blood Samples

Five milliliters of venous blood was obtained from each of the thirty pregnant women recruited and preserved for the determination  of packed cell volume (PCV) in NaEDTA anticoagulated bottle. The collection of venous blood from the women was  carried out before the administration of the ugu (pumpkin) mixture, a day after the last day the administration of the mixture and after thirty days of the administration of the mixture??.

 Packed cell volume of all the blood collected  from each of the pregnant  women was determined by capillary tube method described by Chesbrough (2002)

Data were analysed with aid of Students t-test as described by Frank and Jones(1994).

Approval letter was obtained from ethical committee of the institution.

Results

The observation of this study is as shown in table 1. There was a higher mean packed cell volume (PCV) of 29.5±2.2% observed in the pregnant women a day after the last day of the administration of the ugu (pump kin) mixture compared with the packed cell volume of 20.8±2.0% observed in the women before the administration of the ugu mixture. The increase in the PCV was statistically significant (P < 0.05)Higher significant mean PCV  value of 27.4± 1.9%  was observed in the woman thirty days after the one week administration of the ugu (pumpkin) mixture than the packed cell volume of 20.8± 2.0%  obtained from the women before the administration of the mixture with p<0.05.

Lower significant mean value of 27.4± 1.9% was observed in the women thirty days after the administration of the ugu mixture than the packed cell volume of 29.5± 2.2% observed a  day after the  last day of the administration of the ugu mixture with P < 0.05           

The  observed higher significant mean value  of packed cell volume in the  pregnant women after  the administration of Ugu (pumpkin) mixture compared with the packed cell volume obtained from the women a day following the last day of a week administration of Ugu (pumpkin) mixture can be attributed to the fact that the mixture is very rich in iron, folic acid, vitamin   B12 and protein, which    are active ingredients required for blood formation - erythropoesis   (Cheesbrough,2002 and Beck,1980 ) 

The higher significant mean value of PCV observed  in the pregnant women studied a day following a week administration of the mixture than the observed mean packed  cell volume after thirty  days following  the last day of the administration of the mixture is consistent with the fact that there is a rapid increase in blood  formation  or heamoglobin synthesis  at the  initial  stage following inducement  with a drop  in the heamatocrit due to disaproportionate massive increase in plasma volume relative to red blood cell [ a common physiological alteration in pregnancy]  and increase in foetal needs. (Cheesbrough,2002; Howard,1997 and Kirsty,2003).  The increased packed cell volume observed after the administration of  the mixture can also be attributed  to high iron and folic acid  content of fresh Ugu  green vegetable leaves (Beck,1980). Egg and milk  contain  Vitamin B12 described as anti-anaemic factor by (Beck,1980).

Milk and egg are also very rich in protein essential  for erythroposis  (Cheesbrough, 2002 and Beck, 1980). These nutritive value of the  mixture accounted for the rise in the packed cell volume of the anaemic pregnant women studied after the administration of the mixture.  This study, therefore, suggests an alternative means for  increasing the level of heamatocrit of anaemic pregnant women with packed cell volume level of 18% and above. The use of this mixture in anemia would contribute to a reduction of the risk of HIV/AIDS in hospital environment.

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