Haematological, Blood Sugar, and Body Mass Index Changes in Sprague-Dawley Rats Administered with Watermelon Juice (Citrullus lanatus)

Watermelon [Citrullus lanatus, (Cucurbitaceae)] has been reported to have many potentially bioactive compounds proven to improve health. Aim: This study determined the outcome of watermelon juice on BMI, blood sugar, and haematological parameters in Sprague-Dawley female rats. Methods: A total number of 18 adult rats were used. Animals were randomly divided into three groups: A (control), B (0.5 ml of watermelon juice) and C (1.0 ml of watermelon juice). Watermelon was orally administered daily for 30 days. Haematological analysis was carried by using Beckman-coulter haematological analyzer and CD4⁺ Dynal bead technique. Glucose concentration was determined after enzymatic oxidation and BMI calculated using rat weights and lengths. Results: In group C, there was a significant reduction in BMI compared to group A (1.08±0.04) (P<0.05) even though blood sugar level across the three groups was within same range. CD4⁺ count was significantly increased in group C (8.67 ± 0.88) (P<0.05) compared to the control group (5.00±1.15) and WBC increased marginally in both treatment groups after 30 days of ingesting the watermelon juice. NEUT and PLT increased slightly in group C compared to control group. RBC, HCT and HGB concentrations from the experimental rats in groups B and C were similar but reduced slightly compared to group A. Conclusion: Consumption of watermelon juice led to reduced body weight gain and maintained a relative blood sugar level. It may suggest ability to provide vital nutrients, stop bleeding, fight microbial infections and possible initiation of immune response.