Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and Horseradish Tree (Moringa oleifera) Leaf Extracts as

Hemoglobin Level Enhancer in White Mice (Mus musculus)

Background of the Study

Vertebrates, including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish have red blood cells

that travel in blood vessels to transport gasses, between the lungs (or gills) and the rest of the

body. Some crustaceans, squid, and octopuses have blue blood due to the oxygen-transporting

protein called hemocyanin. In humans, hemoglobin or haemoglobin is an iron-containing protein

in red blood cell (RBC’s) that has two primary functions. Firstly, it transfers oxygen from lungs

to tissues throughout the body. Secondly, it moves carbon dioxide out of cells and carries it back

to the lungs, where it can be expelled. Hemoglobin is made up of four protein chains (two alpha

chains and two beta chains) that each bind an additional ring-shaped chemical structure called

heme containing an iron. Iron is essential in developing hemoglobin in cells in the bone marrow

that become red blood cells.

Hemoglobin levels in human body should be maintained. Without or deficiency in iron

will cause serious illness due to it can’t produce enough red blood cells (hemoglobin) which is

responsible in transporting oxygen in the body. Anemia is a condition in which the number of red

blood cells or the hemoglobin concentration within is lower than normal. Iron-deficiency anemia

is the most common type of anemia. It occurs when your body doesn’t have enough iron.

Potential causes include not eating enough iron-rich foods, blood loss due to menstruation, and
inability to absorb iron. Most common symptoms of anemia are dizziness, headache, unusual

heartbeat, and fatigue. In the Philippines, Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most prevalent

micronutrient deficiency affecting a large proportion of infants (40.5%), pregnant women

(26.4%), lactating women (16.7%), and elderly males (23.0%) in the country ( Palanog, 2019).

This data shows how relevant is anemia in the Philippines.

Perhaps not too many people know that there are natural weapons against diseases that

can be grown right in the garden or farm. Research shows that Alugbati and Malunggay are two

plants that contain a high amount of iron. Alugbati boasts large amounts of calcium, magnesium,

zinc, iron, and B-complex vitamins. It's an excellent source of phytonutrients that scavenge

oxidative damage and promote overall health (Picincu, 2018). As well, Malunggay is said to

provide seven times more vitamin C than oranges, ten times more vitamin A than carrots, 17

times more calcium than milk, nine times more protein than yoghurt, 15 times more potassium

than bananas, and 25 times more iron than spinach (Gopalakrishnan, 2016). This shows how

these two green vegetables contain a large amount of vitamins, especially iron that can

potentially aid anemia. These beneficial plants are common and can be seen in gardens,

especially in the Philippines. As a result, this study aims to determine if Alugbati (Basella alba)

and Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) extracts can be used to boost hemoglobin levels. This study

will seek which of the Alugbati (Basella alba) and Malunggay (Moringa oleifera) can improve

hemoglobin levels by increasing the iron levels in the body.

 Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and Horseradish Tree (Moringa oleifera) Leaf Extracts as

Hemoglobin Level Enhancer in White Mice (Mus musculus)

Generally, this study aims to determine the effect of Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and

Horseradish Tree (Moringa oleifera) Leaf Extracts as Hemoglobin Level Enhancer in White

Mice (Mus musculus).

Specifically, this study aims to answer these following questions:

1. What are the average mean hemoglobin levels of White Mice (Mus musculus) in using

Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and Horseradish Tree (Moringa oleifera) leaf extracts?

2. Is there a significant difference between the average mean hemoglobin levels in White Mice

(Mus musculus) after using Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and Horseradish Tree (Moringa

oleifera) leaf extracts?

Romy Lumbayan Jr.

Jared Demonteverde
John Lloyd Pabilona
Mikee Alba
Shiela Aracena
 Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and Horseradish Tree (Moringa oleifera) Leaf Extracts as

Hemoglobin Level Enhancer in White Mice (Mus musculus)

Significance of the Study

The sole purpose of this study is to know the efficacy of Malabar Spinach (Basella alba)

and Horseradish Tree (Moringa oleifera) in enhancing the hemoglobin levels of White Mice

(Mus musculus). This research may offer empirical significance to the different sectors namely:

Municipal Rural Health Unit, Laboratory, and Personnel

The findings about Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and Horseradish Tree (Moringa

oleifera) Leaf Extracts can help them promote alternatives in preventing Anemia.

Healthcare Professionals

This study can serve as basis, guidelines and additional knowledge for advising and

giving alternatives to people, especially those who have anemia.

Patients Diagnosed with Iron-deficiency Anemia

The findings of this study can help in giving additional knowledge on the cases of Iron-

deficiency Anemia, the most common type of anemia, which occurs when your body doesn’t

have enough iron, which your body needs to make hemoglobin and when there isn’t enough iron

in your blood, the rest of your body can’t get the amount of oxygen it needs. With the use of the

Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and Horseradish Tree (Moringa oleifera) Leaf Extracts as

hemoglobin level enhancer this might be prevented.

Teachers

This study can give ideas to the teachers on the awareness and the benefits of Malabar

Spinach (Basella alba) and Horseradish Tree (Moringa oleifera) leaf extracts in enhancing

hemoglobin levels and their possible effect on anemia.

Future Researchers

The findings of this study may be used as reference data in conducting new researches or

in testing the validity of other related findings.

The Researchers

Being a novice for this kind of topic is a challenge for us upcoming Medical

Technologists like the researchers. So this will be an instrument that will guide and navigate

them in discovering credible, reliable, and tantamount of factors that are known as indispensable

data for further understanding on the topic. Indeed, the findings of this study is going to be the

chief source of enlightenment that they will surely need in their future studies.

Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and Horseradish Tree (Moringa oleifera) Leaf Extracts as

Hemoglobin Level Enhancer in White Mice (Mus musculus)

Scope and Delimitation

 This study aims to determine which between the Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and

Horseradish Tree (Moringa oleifera) leaf extracts can enhance the hemoglobin level of White

Mice (Mus musculus). This study will seek which of the Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and

Horseradish Tree (Moringa oleifera) can improve the hemoglobin levels of mice higher by

increasing the iron levels.

Twenty-seven healthy White Mice (Mus musculus) which are randomly selected and will

be under three different trials. The treatments made from the leaf extracts of Malabar Spinach

(Basella alba) and Horseradish Tree (Moringa oleifera). The locale of this experimentation will

be in Barangay Poblacion, Dingle, Iloilo which is one of the researcher's houses. As well as, the

checking of hemoglobin level will be done in Dingle Public Health Center through the help of

the experts. This experimentation will be done with in February-March of 2023.

 Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and Horseradish Tree (Moringa oleifera) Leaf Extracts as

Hemoglobin Level Enhancer in White Mice (Mus musculus)

Null Hypothesis

There is no significant difference between the average mean hemoglobin levels in White

Mice (Mus musculus) after using Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and Horseradish Tree

(Moringa oleifera) leaf extracts.

 Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and Horseradish Tree (Moringa oleifera) Leaf Extracts as

Hemoglobin Level Enhancer in White Mice (Mus musculus)

Definition of Terms

For purposes of clarity and understanding, the following terms were specified their

conceptual and operational definitions:

Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) – an Asiatic climbing plant with fleshy shining leaves

and small white racemose flowers that is grown in temperate regions as an ornamental vine.

(Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Malabar nightshade. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved

January 11, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Malabar%20nightshade)

In his study, Malabar pinach was used by extracting its extract, which will be tested to

determine its potential for enhancing hemoglobin levels in white mice.

Horseradish Tree - an East Indian tree (Moringa oleifera) that has a horseradish-flavored

root and is cultivated throughout the tropics for its elongated capsular fruit which when young

are pickled or cooked as a vegetable and for its seeds which yield ben oil (Merriam-Webster.

(n.d.). Horseradish tree. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved January 11, 2023, from

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horseradish%20tree).

In this study, Horseradish was used by extracting its extract, which will ve tested to

determine its potential for enhancing hemoglobin levels in white mice.

 Treatment - The treatment is any independent variable manipulated by the

experimenters, and its exact form depends on the type of research being performed (Scribbr,

2020).

In this study, the treatments are Malabar Spinach and Horseradish Tree leaf extracts.

Iron- Iron is a mineral, and its main purpose is to carry oxygen in the hemoglobin of red

blood cells throughout the body so cells can produce energy. Iron also helps remove carbon

dioxide. When the body's iron stores become so low that not enough normal red blood cells can

be made to carry oxygen efficiently, a condition known as iron deficiency anemia develops

(Kohn, 2021).

In this study, it refers to the iron content of malabar spinach ang horseradish tree.

Hemoglobin level- indicate how much hemoglobin is present in their blood. Hemoglobin,

also written as haemoglobin, is a complex protein found in red blood cells which helps to

circulate oxygen around the body and transport carbon dioxide from tissues to the lungs

(https.//ada.com/hemoglobin-levels).

In this study, it refers to the hemoglobin levels of white mice after taking Malabar

spinach and Horseradish tree extract.

Malabar Spinach (Basella alba) and Horseradish Tree

(Moringa oleifera) Leaf Extracts as Hemoglobin Level

Enhancer in White Mice (Mus musculus)

Romy Lumbayan Jr.

Jared Demonteverde
John Lloyd Pabilona
Mikee Alba
Shiela Aracena