Abstract
The antihyperglycaemic and antioxidant activities of a Ghanaian medicinal plant namely Adenia lobata Engl (Passifloraceae), used to treat diabetes mellitus in traditional medicine, was investigated. The dried stem powder of A. lobata was successively extracted by Soxhlet with petroleum ether and 70% ethanol to obtain the crude petroleum ether (PEAL: yield =1.1 w/w %) and ethanol (EEAL: yield = 5.4 w/w %) extracts. The extracts were assessed for their antihyperglycaemic and antioxidant activities. The antihyperglycaemic activity of PEAL and EEAL were determined in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (70 mg/kg body weight). Five groups of diabetic rats were given 150, 300 and 600 mg/kg body weight of PEAL and EEAL orally once daily for 20 days. Glibenclamide (5 mg/kg body weight) was used as positive control while distilled water (5 ml) acted as the normal diabetic control. The blood glucose levels were monitored initially for 6 hours and subsequently over 24 days. Both extracts exhibited statistically significant (p< 0.001) antihyperglycaemic activity throughout the study period, with EEAL showing the greatest activity. The antioxidant properties of the petroleum ether and ethanol extracts of A. lobata (PEAL and EEAL) were evaluated using five assays; total phenolic content, total antioxidant capacity, reducing power, DPPH scavenging effect and lipid peroxidation activity. In all these assays, the antioxidant properties increased with increasing concentration of the extracts.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin to meet the body's needs or the body cannot effectively use the insulin that is produced (Herfindal and Gourley,1996)
Diabetes is a global health problem and its complications are associated with an increased presence of free radicals that lead to elevated stress in the body (Mendel, 1997; Johansen et al, 2005)
The present study demonstrated the anithyperglycaemic activity of the petroleum ether extract (PEAL), 70% ethanol extract (EEAL) of A. lobata in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats in acute and sub-chronic treatment study periods
Summary
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin to meet the body's needs or the body cannot effectively use the insulin that is produced (Herfindal and Gourley,1996) This results in increased concentrations of glucose in the blood, which in turn damage many of the body's systems, in particular the blood vessels and nerves. In Ghana, the use of medicinal plants in various ethno-botanical literatures has been reported (Irvine, 1961; Mshana et al, 2000; Abbiw, 1990), while several reputable traditional health practitioners continue to make claims for medicinal plants in the management of diabetes. It is in this direction that the stem of A. lobata, a woody climber, which grows in the West African rainforests and used in treatment of diabetes (Irvine, 1961) was investigated
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