Effects of the Matricaria recutita L. (German Chamomile) on sheep erythrocyte osmotic fragility

German chamomile is a medicinal herb widely used, primarily as a sedative, anxiolytic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic, and for the treatment of nightmares, hemorroids, mastitis, rheumatic pain, oral mucositis induced by methotrexato therapy, conjunctivitis, colds and flu, flatulence, indigestion, diarrhea, anorexia, motion sickness, nausea, vomiting, colic, fevers, induce menstruation, strengthen the uterus and vulnerary (wound healing). Its active constituents are terpenoids (bisabolol, chamazulene, and others), flavonoids (apigenin and others). The capability of red blood cells (RBC) to resist hemolysis characterizes what is called the osmotic fragility (OF) of the membrane. We have investigated the possibility that German chamomile is capable of altering the physiological properties of the RBC. The osmotic fragility evaluations of the RBC were performed with blood samples incubated with a chamomile extract (0.032 mg/mL) or with sodium chloride solution (0.90% NaCl) as a control for 60 minutes at room temperature. Briefly, RBC samples (25 μL), were gently mixed with hypotonic NaCl (from 0.12 to 0.90%), centrifuged, the supernatants were isolated to determine the optical density (OD) in a spectrophotometer (540 nm). Statistical analysis was performed. Osmotic fragility was significantly (p<0.05) changed by the presence of the chamomile extract in the isotonic concentrations. Finally, the alterations to RBC membrane transport mechanisms were sufficient to promote modifications in osmotic fragility. Our results suggest that, the chemical properties of German chamomile could be responsible for the observed effects.