Influence of anti-sickle cell medicinal plants (Carica papaya and Ipomoea batatas) on sickle cell morphology in the Kisangani region

Introduction: This study focused on the influence of presumed anti-sickle cell medicinal plants (Carica papaya and Ipomoea batatas) on sickle cell morphology in the Kisangani region. It aimed to verify the corrective effect of these plants by comparing in vitro analyses of sickle cell red blood cells from the control sample with plant extracts.

Methods: The Emmel sickle cell test was the method chosen to demonstrate the activity of plant extracts on sickle cell morphology. This in vitro experiment was performed for each control sample and one test sample. The control sample was blood from a sickle cell patient, and the test sample was the one treated with the anti-sickle cell plant extract.

Results: The aqueous extract of Carica papaya, with 60% versus 70% for the ethanolic extract, restored red blood cells to normal shapes compared to SS blood. However, the aqueous extract compared to the ethanolic extract of Ipomoea batatas compared to SS blood showed that the extracts provided a correction of normal or biconcave shapes of 60% and 80%, respectively.

Conclusion: Carica papaya and Ipomoea batatas are medicinal plants that have a positive impact in the treatment of sickle cell disease. The plants tested demonstrated satisfactory anti-sickle cell activity; the ethanolic extracts demonstrated superior activity compared to the aqueous extracts.