Abstract

HUNTERIA UMBELLATA AQUEOUS FRUIT EXTRACT HYPOGLYCEMIC POTENTIALS ON NORMOGLYCEMIC AND ALOXAN INDUCE DIABETIS IN WISTAR RATS

Solomon M. Uvoh*, Kiridi Emily Gabriel E. and Charles N. Ngaikedi

ABSTRACT

The present study was design to evaluate the hypoglycemic potentials of 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg aqueous/whole fruit extract of Hunteria Umbellata in normoglycemic aloxan induced type1 diabetes mellitus in male wistar rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced via intraperitoneal injection of 160mg/kg of aloxan monohydrate dissolved in 150ml 0.9% normal saline at a single dose. There after the diabetes groups were treated orally with Hunteria Umbellata whole fruit aqueous extract at 200 – 400mg/kg body weight on daily basis for a period of 28 days. Thirty-one wistar rats were used for the entire study (gp1=5, gp2=5, gp3=7, gp4=7, gp5=7). Group1 served as the normal control, group2 was giving 200mg/kg extract daily without aloxan induction, group3 was treated at high (400mg/kg body weight) dose extract daily after aloxan induction, group4 was treated at low (200mg/kg body weight) dose daily following aloxan induction, group5 was treated subcutaneously with a standard drug (insulin) at 0.5ml daily of 1ml insulin 40IU dissolved in 9ml 0.9% normal saline. The 200mg/kg body weight of the extract administered orally to group2 not induced with a single dose of aloxan shows that the extract did not cause any mortality at that dose regiment. The fasting blood sugar levels and their anthropometric parameter were measured on weekly basis for a period of four weeks. The group3 that received high dose (400mg/kg) extract of the Hunteria Umbellata developed hypoglycemia (69.20mg/dl) and (58.50mg/dl) during week2 and week3.Group4 treated at low dose (200mg/kg) fasting blood sugar level was within normal Physiological range during the third week (86.00mg/dl body weight) but fluctuated to (105.00mg/dl) during the final week of study. However, the group5 treated with the standard drug develop a higher FBS mean values in week1 (254.75mg/dl), week2 (173.20mg/dl), week3 (157.00mg/dl) but decline at week4 (98.00mg/dl). Thus, the overall combination of the entire groups fasting blood sugar levels weekly shows a significant (0.00) reduction in week3 (90.63mg/dl) and week4 (95.62mg/dl) compared with week1 (226.80mg/dl), week2 (118.38mg/dl). Additionally, the overall mean weight also decreases at week4 (156.78g) and week3 (166.42g) respectively. Furthermore, a significant weight reduction in group3 treated at 400mg/kg extract was observed in week1 to week4 compared with other groups during the study period. This study has shown that the rate of hyperglycemic reduction by the extract at (400mg/kg) high dose treatment is faster than the standard drug (insulin).

Keywords: Hunteria Umbellata, Glucose, Insulin, Aloxan, Diabetes mellitus.