Antisickling and Antihemolytic Mechanism of Spirulina platensis (Oscillatoriaceae): A Nutraceutical Commonly Used in Cameroon

Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is a widespread genetic disease in Africa, associated with chronic hemolytic anaemia and vaso-occlusive and infectious complications. The most commonly used means of management and treatment such as blood transfusions and allografting are expensive and predispose patients to the risk of infections. This research study aimed at evaluating the antisickling and antihemolytic activities of aqueous extracts of Spirulina platensis from Cameroon for optimising the management of this disease using natural substances. The Spirulina platensis harvested in Nomayos-Yaounde was dried, crushed, and macerated for 24 h in distilled water and the filtrate was freeze dried. The determination of the inhibition rates of falciformation induced by 2% sodium metabisulfite (MBS) and the sickling reversibility rate was carried out at different concentrations (100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 μg·mL−1) of the spirulina extract at different time intervals (2 h, 4 h, and 24 h). Aspirin, hypotonic solution, Triton X-100, and hydrogen peroxide were used as hemolytic inducers and the antihemolytic activity of the extract was studied at 800 μg·mL−1 and 1600 μg·mL−1 using the colorimetric method. The extraction yield was 14.015%. The maximum duration of induced falciformation was 2 h 30 min and the percentage of falciformation increased from 27.99 ± 3.15% (at the initial time) to 91.44 ± 3.70%, giving a falciformation induction rate of 69.3%. The falciformation inhibition rate after 2 h 30 min ranges from 15.10 ± 0.60% to 66.09 ± 4.69% for the concentration of 100 μg·mL−1 to 1600 μg·mL−1 of the spirulina extract. This rate of inhibition of falciformation was found to be dose-dependent. The best concentration of the extract was 1600 μg·mL−1. The reversibility rate of falciformation at 800 μg·mL−1 and 1600 μg·mL−1 varied from 37.54 ± 6.35% to 82.34 ± 5.63% as a function of time. 1600 μg·mL−1 was the most active concentration after 24 h. In addition, the extract improved the Fe2+/Fe3+ ratio with an increase in the rates of 69.78 ± 8.81 and 69.78 ± 13.82 at 800 μg·mL−1 and 1600 μg·mL−1, respectively. According to each inducer at 800 μg·mL−1 and 1600 μg·mL−1, respectively, of the spirulina extract, the following rates of inhibition of hemolysis were found: 53.03 ± 9.46% and 96.67 ± 5.77% (aspirin); 80 ± 8.66% and 71.25% (hypotonic solution); 36.56 ± 9.53% and 45.67 ± 22.55% (Triton X-100); 24.26 ± 9.55% and 36.76 ± 1.27% (hydrogen peroxide). At the end of this study, the b