Abstract
The Antidiabetic Activities of the Aqueous Leaf Extract of Phyllanthus amarus In Some Laboratory AnimalsAimsPhyllanthus amarus has gained popularity in many continents as an herbal remedy hence its aqueous leaf extract is being assessed for its safety potential and antidiabetic properties in some laboratory animals.MethodsThe anti‐diabetic activities of the aqueous extract of the plant were assessed using some standard tests as well as histological changes in liver, kidney and pancreas. Diabetes mellitus was induced in rats using alloxan while glibenclamide at 0.2mg/kg was the reference drug used in this study. Acute toxicity was carried out to determine safe doses for this plant extract.ResultsThe extract at 200 and 400mg/kg body weight caused significant reduction of fasting blood glucose, produce significant reduction in the oral glucose tolerance test, marked effect in the hypoglycaemic activity test, and pronounced reduction on the glucose level of diabetic rats. Histopathologically, the architecture of the pancreas appeared intact in the extract‐treated group. The study also showed recovery of the damaged liver cells in the extract‐ treated group.ConclusionThe plant extract produced antidiabetic activities that are comparable to that of Glibenclamide, and may have validated the basis for the traditional use of Phyllanthus amarus as antidiabetic agent.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus (DM), often referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a patient has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced
Fresh leaves of Phyllanthus amarus Schum were collected from the campus of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in March 2012
Phytochemical screening of the leaves of P. amarus showed the presence of alkaloids, tannin, flavonoids, saponin, anthraquinones and cardiac glycosides
Summary
Diabetes mellitus (DM), often referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a patient has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. Type 2 DM results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency (Boussageon et al, 2011). It is for‐ merly referred to as noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or "adult-onset" dia‐ betes). It may precede development of type 2 DM (Sattar et al, 2010)
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