Anti-glycemic potential of Abelmoschus caillei (A. Chev.) Stevels Pod aqueous and methanol extract on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a lingering disease associated with pancreatic malfunctioning unable to synthesize sufficient insulin, or the insulin produced by the body cannot be effectively utilized, resulting in the accumulation of glucose in the body. This study evaluates the anti-diabetic activity of the aqueous and methanol extracts of Abelmoschus caillei in Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Thirty male rats were administered with 45 mg/kg Streptozotocin (STZ) to induce-diabetes for 3 days and thereafter treated with graded oral doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg of aqueous and methanol pod extracts of A. caillei for 28 days. Hematological analysis, biochemical analysis and histopathology of the heart, were carried out using standard procedures. The results from this study showed a significant reduction in the elevated blood glucose levels at day 28 of the aqueous and methanol extracts (67.37; 130 mg/dL and 173.0; 140.0 mg/dL) with percentage reduction of (68.29; 56.3% and 30.7; 45.8%) respectively when compared with glibenclamide group and diabetes control (220.7 mg/dl; 43.98 % and 418.7 mg/dl; 0%). The hematological, lipid profile and liver function test had a slight significant difference specifically at 400 mg/kg of the extracts when compared with the control p> 0.05. The architectural frame work of the organ’s histopathology elicited no deformities in liver, kidney, pancreases, lungs, and heart the treated groups when compared with the diabetic control. This study showed that A. caillei extracts possess anti-diabetic potentials, thereby supporting the claims in the management of diabetes from the traditional folk’s report.