Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Assessment of organ weight changes in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats treated with Olea europaea L. leaf extract

Dalila Bencheikh^1,2 , Seddik Khennouf¹, Saliha Dahamna¹

¹Laboratory of Phytotherapy Applied to Chronic Diseases, Department of Biology and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, University Ferhat Abbas Setif 1, Setif 19000, Algeria; ²Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of M'sila, University Pole, Road Bourdj Bou Arreiridj, M'sila 28000, Algeria.

For correspondence:- Dalila Bencheikh Email: dalila.bencheikh@univ-msila.dz Tel:+2130664396105

Accepted: 2 August 2024 Published: 31 August 2024

Citation: Bencheikh D, Khennouf S, Dahamna S. Assessment of organ weight changes in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats treated with Olea europaea L. leaf extract. Trop J Pharm Res 2024; 23(8):1249-1254 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v23i8.3

© 2024 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the antidiabetic activity of crude extract of Olea europaea L. (CEOE) leaves in streptozotocin induced-diabetic rats and also to determine its tannin content.

Methods: Thirty (30) male, normoglycemic Wistar rats (170 - 250 g) were randomly divided into five groups of six rats each. Group 1, which served as the normal control group, received distilled water while groups 2 and 3, were administered 200 and 600 mg/kg of CEOE extract daily for 18 days, respectively. Group 4 was given glibenclamide (Glibil; 3 mg/kg) while group 5 served as the untreated diabetic control group. Diabetes was induced with a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) and rats with blood glucose levels ≥ 250 mg/dL were confirmed to be diabetic. The blood glucose concentration, water and feed intake, tannin content of CEOE as well as the weight of organs were determined.

Results: The results showed that O. europea contained a large amount of tannins (806.22 ± 0.036 μg Tannic Acid Equivalent/g Extract). Administration of the extract (200 and 600 mg/kg) significantly decreased polydipsia and polyphagia, and reversed weight loss in rats with diabetes (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively) in comparison with glibenclamide.

Conclusion: The antidiabetic activity of the crude extract of O. europea was higher than that observed with glibenclamide, thus validating the folkloric use of this plant in diabetes care. Further investigation of Olea europea, including thorough chemical and pharmacological studies, are required.

Keywords: Antidiabetic activity, Olea europea L, Polydipsia, Polyphagia, Tannins