EVALUATION OF HYPOGLYCAEMIC EFFECTS OF LEAF EXTRACTS OF MISTLETOES (Globimetula oreophila OLIV. AND Globimetula braunii ENGL. Van Tiegh) IN ALLOXAN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Abstract

Folklore medicine has it that some mistletoes are used in the management of diabetes in Nupeland. The aqueous and ethylacetate extracts of two mistletoe plants, Globimetula braunii and Globimetula oreophila were investigated for hypoglycaemic effects in diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced intraperitoneally in rat with 100mg/kg body weight (b.w) of alloxan and rats with blood glucose >135 mg/kg b.w were considered diabetic. The design consisted of twenty one (21) rats with each group having three rats. The diabetic rats were given 500mg/kg b.w of respective extracts once daily for fourteen days. Blood glucose was monitored every five days and it reduced during the period of treatment when compared with diabetic untreated group (DNT). The experiment lasted for twenty one (21) days, the blood serum and fresh organs were collected after euthanizing the animals. The extracts showed significant (P<0.05) hypoglycaemic effects with 58.37%, 50.46%, 65.50% and 50.65% for Aqueous Globimetula braunii (AGB), Aqueous Globimetula oreophila (AGO), Ethylacetate Globimetula Braunii (EGB) and Ethylacetate Globimetula oreophila (EGO) respectively. There was no significant (P>0.05) gain in body weight for all the groups treated with the extracts but normoglyceamic group (NNT) showed significant (P<0.05) increase (8.04%) in total body weight. The mean percentage ratio of fresh organs to whole body weight for liver and heart reveals no significant (P>0.05) difference between the groups. While lungs and pancreas show significant (P<0.05) reduction for all the groups treated with the extracts. The kidney of the AGB treated group showed a significant (P<0.05) increase when compared with NNT groups. There was no significant difference (P<0.05) in serum total protein and cholesterol levels between the groups. Triglyceride level significantly (P<0.05) increased (173.50+16.57) in the Diabetes untreated group (DNT) alone when compared with the NNT group. Only EGO group showed a significant (P< 0.05) increase (1.57+0.2) in the level of direct bilirubin, total bilirubin was not significantly (P>0.05) increase in all the groups when compared with the NNT group. AGB group showed significant increase in the activities of Alkaline phosphatase. EGB, EGO and DNT, showed significant (P<0.05) increase (78.90+8.90, 63.30+6.10 and 73.07+2.40 respectively) in the activities of Alanine aminotransferase when compared with the NNT group. All groups showed significant (P<0.05) increase in the activities of Aspartate aminotransferase when compared with the NNT groups. Thus, the research work has shown that all the extracts of G.braunii and G.oreophila at 500mg/kg b.w have significant anti-diabetic effects on the diabetic animal model (rats) in addition to ameliorating the biochemical abnormalities arising from diabetes.