Biochemical action of Balanites aegyptiaca fruits as a possible hypoglycemic agent

Abstract

The effect of Balanites aegyptiaca as an anti-diabetic agent was investigated using adult albino rats. The rats were injected with alloxan to induce diabetes. Daily gain in body weight, daily food intake, food efficiency, serum protein, serum glutamic-oxalacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvate transaminase (GPT) activities and liver body weight ratio were determined before and after 2, 10 and 20 days of alloxan injection. The addition of 10% whole or extracted pulp of Balanites aegyptiaca fruits at the expense of starch in the basal diet caused a considerable decrease in food intake and a gain in body weight and, consequently, food efficiency ratio, in the first 10 days compared with the negative control. In the second 10 days, rats fed on the basal diet, or the basal diet supplemented with 10% whole or extracted pulp, recovered their appetite for food and gained daily in body weight and food efficiency ratio. The liver body weight ratio was not significantly affected. The addition of whole or extracted pulp also caused a highly significant decrease in serum glucose level and serum protein and inhibited the activities of GOT and GPT in alloxanized rats.