Abstract
BackgroundVitellaria paradoxa (V. paradoxa) is a plant used in traditional medicine in the treatment of many diseases including diabetes mellitus. Although the different parts of this plant are used empirically as antidiabetic drug, no scientific work to our knowledge has yet been undertaken to evaluate its effects on blood glucose, and lipid and antioxidant parameters of diabetic animals. The objective of this study is therefore to evaluate the hypoglycaemic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities of the aqueous extract of V. paradoxa barks in diabetic rats.MethodsDiabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of alloxan (120 mg/kg bw). Thirty male albino rats were divided into groups and orally treated for 14 days with distilled water, glibenclamide (2.5 mg/kg bw) and aqueous extract of V. paradoxa (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg bw). Glycaemia, insulin level, relative body weight, hepatic glycogen level, some liver enzymes, and lipid and antioxidant parameters were evaluated.ResultsThe results showed that the extract caused a significant increase in relative body weight, insulin level, HDL-cholesterol, hepatic glycogen rate, and fructose-1,6-biphosphate and glucokinase activities. A significant decrease in glycaemia, glucose-6-phosphatase activity, total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol were also observed after the administration of V. paradoxa. Glutathione level and the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase increased significantly while the nitric oxide and malondialdehyde levels decreased significantly in the liver of animals treated with the extract of V. paradoxa.ConclusionThese results justify the hypoglycaemic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of aqueous extract of V. paradoxa barks, which can reduce the complications associated with diabetes.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease that occurs when fasting glycaemia greater than or equal to 126 mg/mL [1]
We focused our interest on V. paradoxa, a plant used in traditional African medicine to treat hemorrhoids, constipation, dysentery, malaria, tooth decay and diabetes
Effect of the aqueous extract of V. paradoxa barks on relative body weight Table 1 represents the variation in the body weight of animals during 2 weeks
Summary
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease that occurs when fasting glycaemia greater than or equal to 126 mg/mL [1]. The number of patients was estimated at about 422 million in 2014 and is Diabetes is associated to oxidative stress (OS) that disrupts the insulin secretion and promotes insulin resistance and cardiovascular complications associated with it. This OS is due to a rupture in the physiological balance that exists in the organism between the oxidizing molecules and the antioxidant defense systems. The different parts of this plant are used empirically as antidiabetic drug, no scientific work to our knowledge has yet been undertaken to evaluate its effects on blood glucose, and lipid and antioxidant parameters of diabetic animals. The objective of this study is to evaluate the hypoglycaemic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities of the aqueous extract of V. paradoxa barks in diabetic rats
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