Abstract

Besides smoking, tobacco and other products derived from it are widely consumed orally and intranasally without burning in form of different kinds of smokeless tobacco as alternative for nicotine delivery. This research was aimed at investigating the effect of two brands of snuff on hematological parameters in Wister rats. 30 rats were randomly divided into 5 groups. Group1 (control); received only distilled water. Group 2 and 3 (received 4mg and 2mg/kg b.w.t of tobacco, TBC, respectively). Group 4 and 5 (received 5mg and 2.5mg/kg b.w.t special Moringa sundu, SMS, respectively). After two months of treatment, the rats were anesthetized and blood sample collected via heart puncture. Result revealed significant decrease (p<0.05) in WBC count, PCV and platelet among group 2, 4 and 5 in relation to the control with a significant increase (p<0.05) in group 3. Hb (g/dL) level significantly decreases between group 2, 4 and 5 while it increases significantly in group 3 compared to the control. Lymphocyte and monocyte level increases significantly across all the groups compared to control. Group 2 demonstrate no significant increase (p>0.05) in level of eosinophil while group 3 and 5 indicate no significant decrease compared to control. There was significant elevation (p<0.05) in level of neutrophil in group 2, 3 and 4 compared to control with no significant reduction in group 5. Anemia, bone marrow suppression and hematophagocytosis are likely the influence of the two snuff brands on hematological parameters. This can adversely affect its users by inducing acute and chronic inflammation.