Abstract

Background:
Sickle cell disease is a hereditary genetic disorder with autosomal recessive transmission and a notably high prevalence. Studies on some plants used in traditional medicine have shown significant in vitro anti-sickling activity.

Aim:
This study aimed to evaluate whether a hydroethanolic extract of Ficus sycomorus leaves can prevent red blood cell sickling in individuals with HbAS and HbSS genotypes.

Methods:
Ficus sycomorus leaf powder (10 g) was macerated in 100 ml of 60% ethanol. Following filtration, the macerate was concentrated using a rotary evaporator to obtain a crude dry extract. This extract was then dissolved in water to prepare two concentrations: 5 and 2.5 mg/ml. After incubating the extract solutions with blood samples from individuals with HbAS and HbSS genotypes, as well as from healthy HbAA controls, Emmel tests were performed. The percentage of sickled erythrocytes was determined using optical microscopy.

Results:
In the basal state, HbSS subjects had a higher sickle cell count (44.20% ± 0.66%) than HbAS subjects (30.99% ± 0.88%). The F. sycomorus leaf extract (EFFs) resulted in a significant reduction in the sickle cell count in subjects with HbSS, with the rate dropping from 44.20% ± 0.66% to 26.13% ± 0.88% at a concentration of 2.5 mg/ml. In HbAS subjects, the sickle cell count decreased from 30.99% ± 0.88% to 13.16% ± 0.44% at the same concentration. However, increasing the extract concentration to 5 mg/ml seemed to lessen this effect, with only a slight reduction in the preventive effect on sickling (p < 0.05 for inhibitory effect vs control).

Conclusion:
Our findings suggest that the crude hydroethanolic extract of F. sycomorus leaves exhibits promising anti-sickling properties.

Key words: Anti-sickling; Ficus sycomorus; Sickle cell disease.