Effiong, Grace Sylvester and Akpan, Henry Dan.
The effect of Nauclea latifolia , a promising vegetable used in the traditional management of metabolic disorders on some biochemical assay was investigated in diabetic rat. The study design consisted of twenty four rats divided into four groups of six rats each. Whereas groups 1 and 2, non diabetic and diabetic controls received placebo treatment, groups 3 received 200mg/kg b.w. of Nauclea latifolia twice a day while the 4 th group received subcutaneous insulin, 5IU/kg b.w. per day, for 21 days. Thereafter, the animals were sacrificed, and their serum was used to assay lipid components and liver function enzymes, using stan dard analytical kits. Measured blood glucose in diabetic animals decreased significantly from initial by 61.51% upon treatment with Nauclea latifolia . Whereas diabetes induction caused significant increas es (p<0.05) in total cholesterol by 54.42% and low density lipoprotein by 55.0% compared to the normal control (NC), treatment with extract of NL significantly decreased (p<0.05) these by 24.79% and 33.38% respectively. Also the amino transferases (ALT and AST) activities which increased by 66.83% and 72.87% in the diabetic control rats indicating hepatotoxicity secondary to hype rglycemia became reduced upon treatment with NL. Thus, Nauclea latifolia extract may provides a high efficacy in protection against atherosclerosis and hepatotoxicity in diabetes.
Share this article