Antihemolytic effect of Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) on red blood cells of Japanese quails.

The antihemolytic activity of Rooibos and black tea on Japanese quail erythrocytes was studied. Peroxide and hypotonic hemolysis of the red blood cells of quails, either fed with Rooibos tea supplemented food or fed without tea, was performed. Long-term consumption of Rooibos tea did not change the erythrocyte fragility to either peroxide or hypotonia induced hemolysis. However, Rooibos and black teas decreased peroxide induced hemolysis of erythrocytes incubated with each of them, but not hemolysis induced by hypotonic NaCl solution. Stronger inhibition of hemolysis has been obtained when a boiled water extract of Rooibos tea was used for the inhibition. The degree of inhibition was comparable with the effect of ascorbic acid.