Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Effect of Ethanol Leaf Extract of Newboulda Laevis on Blood Glucose Levels of Diabetic Rats

Omonkhelin J Owolabi¹ , Fabian C Amaechina¹, Mercy Okoro²

¹Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; ²Department of Science Laboratory Technology, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.

For correspondence:- Omonkhelin Owolabi Email: owolabi@uniben.edu Tel:+2348034120318

Received: 14 July 2010 Accepted: 14 May 2011 Published: 24 June 2011

Citation: Owolabi OJ, Amaechina FC, Okoro M. Effect of Ethanol Leaf Extract of Newboulda Laevis on Blood Glucose Levels of Diabetic Rats. Trop J Pharm Res 2011; 10(3):249-254 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v10i3.12

© 2011 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate anti-diabetic effect of the ethanol leaf extract of Newbouldia laevis (P. Beauv) in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Methods: Alloxan (150 mg/kg) was administered to wistar albino rats via the intraperitoneal route. The diabetic rats were then placed in 5 groups, following stabilization of hyperglycemia. The first group was untreated, the next three groups received, each day, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of the ethanol extract Newbouldia laevis and the fifth group received a reference standard, glibenclamide (5 mg/kg). Treatment was via the oral route for 14 days and fasting blood sugar level was monitored over this period. Acute toxicity (oral and intraperitoneal) studies on the extract was carried out, as well as phytochemical screening of the extract.

Results: All doses of the extract (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) significantly (p < 0.05, p < 0.0001, p <0.05, respectively) lowered fasting blood glucose level, notably at the 4^th, 8^th and 14^th day. Glibenclamide (5 mg /kg) also significantly lowered fasting blood glucose (p < 0.0001). The results on acute toxicity revealed that for the oral and intraperitoneal route, mortality was at 8 and 1 g/kg, respectively while LD₅₀ was 6 g/kg, indicating the high safety status of the plant. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, tannins, alkaloids and flavonoids.

Conclusion: This study supports the use of Newboulda laevis in traditional medicine as well as highlights the need to further explore the potentials of the plant extract as a antihyperglycemic agent.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, Newbouldia laevis, Antidiabetic, Hypoglycemia, Blood glucose