Abstract

*Dr. Okoye Ngozi Franca

ABSTRACT

Aim: The coronavirus disease COVID – 19 has turned into a global pandemic and efforts are out by scientists to help produce solutions to combat this disease especially in immune boosting. Plants and plant products provide a potential source of immune boosting medication. This study investigated the potential use of aqueous extracts of black seed Nigella sativa and scent leaf Ocimum gratissimum tea to ameliorate the symptoms of coronavirus COVID 19 using hyperlipidimic and hyperglycemic Wistar rats. COVID -19 disease has worse effects on people with underlying conditions like diabetes and heart condition. This informed the decision to check the effects of black seed and scent leaf on cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoproteins (HDL), Low density lipoproteins (LDL) and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) using induced hyperlipidemic and hyperglycemic Wistar rats. Materials and Method: Twenty-five (25) Wistar rats were used for this research, five groups were created with five rats in each group. The rats were fed their normal rate feed but they gavaged on sucrose and margarine to induce hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia on the rats with exception to the positive control. The rats in the negative control were induced using the sucrose and margarine but were not treated using the aqueous extracts. The rats in the scent leaf group were treated with 2ml of scent leaf aqueous extract, while the rats in the black seed group were treated with 2ml of black seed aqueous extract. The rats in the black seed and scent leaf group were treated with 2ml of the combined aqueous extract. Results: The results showed that the extracts decreased the levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoproteins, low density lipoproteins and very low density lipoproteins in the rats in a time dependent manner with highest decrease obtained on the third week of treatment with the extracts. The cholesterol level decreased from 10.58±0.12mmol/l to 2.51±0.28mmol/l, while triglyceride level decreased from 5.69±0.03mmol/l to 1.19±0.04mmol/l. Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that the aqueous extract of N. sativa and O. gratissimum might be effective immune booster in the fight against coronavirus (COVID 19).