Preventive Effect of <i>Bridelia micrantha</i> Leaf Extract on Insulin Resistance and Dyslipidaemia in Rats Fed with High Salt Diet

Abstract

The preventive effect of Bridelia micrantha leaf extract on insulin resistance and dyslipidaemia in high-salt diet rats were investigated. Twenty-four Wistar rats were divided into four groups of six rats each. Group one serves as control and was fed with normal feed for 6 weeks, group 2 was fed with high salt diet only for 6 weeks while groups 3 and 4 were fed with high-salt diet and orally administered methanol extract of Bridelia micrantha leaf at a dose of 50 and 200 mg/kg/day simultaneously for 6 weeks. At the end of the study, fasting blood glucose level, fasting blood insulin level and lipid profile and were measured. Homeostasis model of assessment for IR (HOMA-IR), triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index triglyceride (TG)/HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) and total cholesterol (TC)/HDL-C ratios were estimated. Fasting insulin, HOMA-IR and TyG levels of rats given high-salt diet only significantly increased compared with control showing induction of insulin resistance. There was also impaired glucose tolerance and dyslipidaemia in the high-salt diet only rats. The high-salt diet rats administered Bridelia micrantha at doses of 50 and 200 mg/kg/day lower the above parameters significantly when compared with the group given only high-salt diet, with stronger impact by the methanolic extract. In Conclusion, oral administration of Bridelia micrantha leaf extract could prevent the development of insulin resistance and hyperlipidaemia in high-salt diet-fed rat.

Keywords: Bridelia micrantha, high-salt diet, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia