Abstract
Morinda citrifolia is a medicinal plant used to treat diabetes and liver diseases. The fermented fruit juice of the M. Citrifolia (optical density = 1.25) was used to study the hypoglycemic and hepatoprotective properties in diabetes-induced rats. The rats were randomly distributed into 4 groups (control, diabetic experimental, diabetic standard, and diabetic untreated) of 6 each. Diabetes was induced by administering Streptozotocin (50 mg/kg body weight). Fasting blood glucose, body mass, liver tissue glycogen content, and the extent of liver degeneration were assessed. Diabetic experimental animals were treated with M. citrifolia juice (2 ml/kg, twice a day) and diabetic standard with reference hypoglycemic drug, glibenclamide orally for 20 days. Both the groups exhibited a significant reduction in blood glucose level of 150 mg/dl ±15.88 and 125 mg/dl ±3.89, respectively, as compared to diabetic untreated with FBS = 360.0 mg/dl ±15.81, (P < .003). On 10th day of experiment, diabetic experimental animals exhibited a decrease in body mass (10.2 g, 5.11%) which increased significantly by the 20th day (6 g, 3.0%, P < .022). Histological study of liver tissue obtained from untreated diabetic animals revealed significant fatty degeneration as compared to other three groups. The data of this study proved the hypoglycemic and hepatoprotective activity of M. citrifolia.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia, with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both
On the 20th day, after treatment, there was a significant normalization of fasting blood sugar, observed in diabetic experimental animals treated with M. citrifolia and the diabetic standard with reference hypoglycaemic drug, glibenclamide as compared to diabetic untreated animals
There was a significant decrease in fasting glucose from an excess of 300 mg/dl to 150 mg/dl, and this represented a decrease of 52.6%
Summary
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia, with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Regulation of the major metabolic pathways involved in fat, carbohydrate, and protein is of critical importance to bodily function and is achieved by several hormones. A pancreatic hormone, is essential in the regulation of carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism. Fatty-acid synthesis, intestinal amino-acid uptake, and plasma glucose uptake [1, 2]. Underproduction of, or insensitivity of cells to insulin or a combination of, both represents the core aetiology of diabetes mellitus. Management of diabetes mellitus is based upon mechanisms which increase insulin secretion. Secretagogues sensitize cells to insulin, and sensitizers inhibit intestinal glucose absorption and reduce gastric emptying. Continuous use of the medications listed above may constitute an economic burden on the user [3]
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