Effect of leaf extracts of Vernonia amygdalina on glucose utilization in chang-liver, C2C12 muscle and 3T3-L1 cells

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease which affects millions of people worldwide. The prevalence of this disease is increasing annually and the number of diabetics is projected to rise above 300 million before 2025. The growing number of diabetics, coupled with the harsh side effects of some synthetic drugs has led to the increasing search for more natural products of plant origin. Vernonia amygdalina Del. (Asteraceae) is one of the plants commonly used for the treatment of diabetes in Africa. This study evaluated the effect of leaf extracts of this plant on glucose utilization in 3T3-L1, C2C12 muscle, and Chang-liver cells. Treatment of the cells with the acetone, methanol, water, and n-hexane/isopropanol extracts of V. amygdalina leaves significantly increased glucose utilization in the C2C12 muscle and Chang-liver cells but showed no effect on the 3T3-L1 cells. The water and n-hexane/isopropanol extracts were the most active in the C2C12 cells with a response of 78.3 and 95.6% above the control, respectively, while in the Chang-liver cells, water and acetone extracts had a response of 65.8 and 59.6% above the control, respectively. The results, especially of the water extract, strongly corroborate the ethnomedical uses of V. amygdalina as an antidiabetic plant.