COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF INSULIN LEVEL AND CATALASE (CAT) ACTIVITY OF SOME SELECTED MEDICINAL PLANTS IN STREPTOZOTOCIN (STZ)-INDUCED DIABETIC MALE WISTAR ALBINO RATS.

Abstract

This work comparatively assessed the insulin level and catalase (CAT) activity of the leaf extracts of Musa paradisiaca (MP) (plantain) peels, Gongronema latifolium (GLE) (utazi), and Vernonia amygdalina (VA) (bitter leaf). Acute toxicity test was performed on twenty-four male Wistar rats using modified of Lorke D. method as there was no mortality death ratio. Seventy-five male rats were randomly assigned into 15 groups of 5 rats per group. Diabetes was induced in group 2-15 by intraperitoneal administration of 60mg/kg by weight (BW) of streptozotocin (STZ) while group 1 was the normal control, group 2 and 3 were treated with normal saline and 500mg/kg of metformin respectively. Groups 4, 5 and 6 were treated with 200, 400 and 600mg/kg of M. paradisiaca peels (MPPE) respectively. Groups 7, 8 and 9 were treated with 200, 400 and 600mg/kg doses of G. latifolium (GLE) extracts. Groups 10, 11 and 12 were also treated with 200, 400 and 600mg/kg of V. amygdalina (VAE) extracts while groups 13, 14 and 15 were treated with combined 200, 400 and 600mg/kg extracts (1:1:1). The treatments lasted for 28 days by oral intubation with different doses of combined extracts of (MPPE, GLE and VAE) respectively. The results showed that serum insulin levels and catalase (CAT) activity were significantly lower (p<0.05) in group 2 than in group 1. Treatments with the extracts and metformin resulted to a significant increase in the values of these parameters. The effect of the extracts was found to be significantly dose dependent, and the effect produced by the combined extract was significantly (p<0.05) higher than the individual extracts. The effect produced by 600mg/kg of combined extract was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of metformin. The findings from this study are indicative that the extracts of MPPE, GAE, VAE and combined form possess antidiabetic property which may be attributed to their chemical constituents.