Effects of <i>Achyranthes aspera, Bidens pilosa</i> and <i>Ajuga remota</i> Leaf extracts on the blood glucose levels and hemoparameters in male goats treated with Alloxan

Abstract

INTRODUCTION
Diabetes mellitus is a potentially morbid condition with high prevalence worldwide thus the disease constitutes a major health concern. Presently, it is an incurable metabolic disorder which affects about 2.8% of the global population. Hyperglycemia brings about many complications in the body including production of changes in blood constituents. This study demonstrated the effect of hyperglycemia on different blood constituents with special emphasis on white blood cell and platelet count and hemoglobin and packed cell volume content as well as its influence on immunological changes on alloxan induced diabetes in the Small East African male goats. The study determined the phytochemicals present in ethanolic extracts of Achyranthes aspera, Bidens pilosa and Ajuga remota and their possible roles in reversing the hemoparameter changes in alloxan-induced diabetic Small East African goats.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Eighteen mature goats aged between 10 and 16 months were divided into six groups comprising of three animals each and given oral treatments as follows: Group I healthy controls that received 4ml normal saline/day; group II diabetic controls that received 4ml normal saline/day; group III received conventional glibenclamide drug at 0.125mg/kg bw, group IV, V and VI received 250mg/kg bw/day of ethanolic leaf extracts of A. aspera, B. pilosa and A. remota respectively. Phytochemical constituents of the plant extracts were analyzed. Haematological parameters PCV, Hb, PLT and total WBC levels were determined. The data obtained were non parametric in nature and were transformed to normal distribution (parametric) using the log data in SPSS. Data was analyzed using inferential statistics and results expressed as Mean ± S.D. The probability values (p-values) were determined using t-test and ANOVA at 5% level of significance.
RESULTS
Results revealed the presence of the phytochemicals; phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, terpenes and saponins in the plant extracts. The alloxan treated goats became hyperglycemic (5.22±3.13) hence diabetic with significant increase in tWBCs (13.80±3.63) and PLT (482.58±87.57) counts. There was significant decrease in PCV (37.47±3.53), and Hb (6.91±1.61) contents.
CONCLUSION
The present study showed that diabetes mellitus was associated with disruption of hemoparameters levels which may have been as a result of degenerative changes in the hepatic and renal systems. B. pilosa was able to restore almost all these aberrations to normal levels as observed in the healthy controls whereas A. aspera and A. remota moderately restored some parameters to normal levels. In summary, B. pilosa has strong antidiabetic activity and hence hemoparameter changes reversal in alloxan-induced diabetes in goats whereas A. aspera and A. remota ethanolic leaf extracts are moderate in the management of diabetes mellitus.