Therapeutic potential of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) leaf against anemia of chronic disease

Anemia is a global public health problem affecting around two billion people worldwide. Some cases of anemia may be largely due to underlying health conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. These chronic diseases occur in the context of a chronic inflammatory process and often result in anemia of chronic disease. This strongly suggests that improving anemic status may be difficult without addressing the underlying health cause of the anemia. However, the use of plants such as sweet potato leaves, which are rich in bioactive principles and iron, may improve anemia associated with chronic inflammation. Sweet potato is one of the most widely grown foods in the world, and the leaves are often discarded. Therefore, this study provides the potential use of sweet potato leaves (SPL) against anemia of chronic disease. Information used in this study was obtained from scientific databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and the Directory of Open Access Journals. Findings from studies revealed that SPL possesses bioactive compounds with immense antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and chemo-preventive properties. Sweet potato leaves may also offer protection against cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases. The iron-rich nature of sweet potato leaves also suggests that they could be used to improve anemia. However, their potential use against anemia of chronic disease requires further studies.