EFFECTS OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF VERNONIA AMYGDALINA DELILE LEAVES IN ALLOXAN - INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Abstract

This present study investigates the effect of the Vernonia amygdalina Delile (Bitter leaf) on some biochemical parameters such as fasting blood glucose, serum lipid profile, serum electrolytes, activities of the transaminases and alkaline phosphatase, in alloxan - induced diabetic rats. Twenty adult albino rats were used and grouped into four of five (5) rats each: control, diabetic untreated rats, diabetic rats administered with V. amygdalina (400 mg/kg) and normal rats fed with V. amygdalina (400 mg/kg) daily respectively. All rats except those in control and normal rats fed with V . amygdalina (400 mg/kg) group were induced intraperitoneal with a single dose of 150 mg/kg of alloxan. Aqueous extract of V. amygdalina leaf had hypoglycaemic effect when monitored as there was significant increase in the diabetic control groups (5.07 ± 0 .15 mmol/L) when compared with diabetic treated groups. Also, the effect of the V. amygdalina extract on the activities of the transaminases and the alkaline phosphatase reveals a considerable increase in the diabetic control group compared to the diabetic treated group. From our study, the V. amygdalina leaf extract proved to have hypoglycaemic effect by significantly reducing the blood glucose level in diabetic treated rats as it has a great potential of serving as a supplementary therapy to oral hypoglyc aemic drugs