Evaluation of hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects of aqueous ethanolic extracts of <i>Treculia africana</i> Decne and <i>Bryophyllum pinnatum,/i> Lam. and their mixture on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats

Abstract

The plants Treculia africana and Bryophyllum pinnatum are ethnobotanically used in the treatment of various diseases including diabetes and heart diseases. Diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by hyperglycaemia, and hyperlipidaemia which leads to an increased risk of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. The effects of aqueous ethanol (80%) extracts of T. africana leaves and B. pinnatum plants and their mixture, in an equal proportion, were evaluated on postprandial glycaemic status. Three groups of normal rats were treated with the extracts and their mixture (1:1), at a dose of
500 mg/kg body weight and then charged with glucose (40%) at a dose of 1 ml/100 g body weight. Plasma sugar contents were analyzed from the blood collected from the tail vein at 30, 60 and 120 min
intervals. Also glycaemic status and serum lipid profiles of normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were evaluated. Three groups of streptozotocin-induced diabetic (50 mg/kg ip) rats were treated
with the extracts and the (1:1) mixture at a dose of 500 mg/kg, respectively for 21 days. A significant reduction (p0.05) in both postprandial and STZ-induced diabetes blood glucose levels, triglyceride levels, low density lipoprotein (LDL) level, and increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL) level were observed. This scientific finding supports the basis for the herbal use of T. africana and B. pinnatum in the management of diabetes and heart diseases.