Trogonella foenum graecum is a leguminous plant grown normally in various semi-arid conditions of Asia and North Africa. Several traditional purposes have been indicated for this plant including medical purposes and as a food flavor. The aim of this study was to understand the blood responses of white Wistar rats (body weight 180±5 g), male, given the essential oil (EO) of this plant as intraperitonal injection. The essential oil was diluted in saline as 1:10 and applied as 100 mg EO per kg body weight once per day for 1, 3 and 7 days, used a totally 36 animals. In each injection protocol, 6 rats were administrated by EO and 6 rats by only saline. Blood samples were provided in heparinized tubes from retro-orbital plexus a day after each injection period. Blood cells including white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC) and both hematocrit (HCT) and haemoglobin (HB) were significantly (P< 0.05) increased in groups given EO in comparison with those administered by only saline (WBC: 16.6 Vs 7.6, RBC: 8.22 Vs 7.57 HB: 15.67 Vs 14.47 HCT: 46.6 Vs 44.3). In addition, rats by 7 days EO injection had significant (P< 0.05) more blood cells compared with those of rats in 1 and 3 days injection protocols (WBC: 15.8, 16.09 and 16.53; RBC: 7.99, 8.2 and 8.49; HB: 15.42, 15.6 and 16; HCT 45.9, 46.8 and 47.2, respectively). The most important finding of the present study is a significant (P< 0.05) stimulation of WBC to enhance in rats gave the EO than that of the saline injected groups, when data of all protocols were combined (16.6 Vs 7.6). A non-significant response (P> 0.05) found among the animals when blood plasma parameters including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, bilirubin, glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride were considered at each injection protocol, as well as among the protocols. The results of this study indicated that the EO applied as intraperitonal injection could be effective for stimulating to increase the blood cells in the rats evaluated.

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