Abstract
The rising threat of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to Monotherapies has prompted the world health organization (WHO) 2006 guidelines to recommend the use of different anti-malarias. In this study, the anti-malaria and hypoglycaemic activities of Diosgenin, a potent, yet poorly reported saponin was investigated on P. falciparum inoculated and Alloxan-Induced, Diabetic Wistar Rats. Fort two (42) adult male wistar rats of between 100g and 150g were procured, acclimatized (for two weeks), and grouped into seven of six (6) rats per group. While Group 1 (Normal control) received normal rat chow and water ad libitum, groups 2 – 4 received no treatment (untreated), 10 mg/kg body weight of anti-diabetic Metformin and 25 mg/kg body weight of diosgenin respectively after inducing diabetes mellitus (DM) with alloxan monohydrate; whereas, groups 5-7 (all malaria infected) were untreated (negative malaria control), 25 mg/kg body weight of diosgenin and 56 mg/kg body weight of anti-malaria coartem respectively. Following treatment period, blood samples were obtained and assayed for fasting blood sugar, packed cell volume (PCV) and total white blood cell count (TWBCC). From the result, P. falciparum exposed rats showed lowered PCV values than control with observed improvements in coartem (significant at p < 0.05) and diosgenin (insignificant) treatment groups. Also, diabetic, diosgenin treated rats showed an insignificant reduction in blood sugar levels compared to control, even though this change was apparently improved compared to diabetic, untreated group. Again, TWBCC caused notable decrease in diosgenin treated, though this decrease signified a huge recovery compared to untreated rats. Corroborative studies on diosgenin with other systems is recommended.
Highlights
Diosgenin [(3, 25R)-spirost-5-en-3-ol], known as sapogenin, is a hydrophilic sugar moiety associated with aglycone hydrophobic steroid present as glycosides in fenugreek and yam (Dioscorea spp) [1]
This study investigated the anti-microbial and hypoglycaemic effects of diosgenin and coartem on alloxan-induced, diabetic Wistar rats
This study investigated the anti-malaria and hypoglycemic effects of Diosgenin and Coartem on wistar rats with the view to explaining their hypoglycemic actions
Summary
Diosgenin [(3 , 25R)-spirost-5-en-3-ol], known as sapogenin, is a hydrophilic sugar moiety associated with aglycone hydrophobic steroid present as glycosides (saponins) in fenugreek and yam (Dioscorea spp) [1]. In some viral diseases, it has been shown to be an exciting molecule in certain cases It can be beneficial for HIV patients with dementia because of its antioxidant activity [8]. The effects of diosgenin on blood glucose and intestinal amylase and ATPase’s in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats have been studied. 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte lipid accumulation research has shown that diosgenin (levels ranging from 0.1 to 10 molL-1) can promote the expression and differentiation of adipocytes, which can help minimize circulating lipids in the blood and contribute to hypolipidemic activity in type 2 diabetes rats [14]. The ability to produce anti-diabetic effects has been shown to reduce hyperglycemia and insulin resistance and mitigate metabolic dysregulation of the plasma and tissue lipid profile [15]
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