ABSTRACT
To evaluate anti-diabetic and liver enzymes activities of aqueous extracts of Moringa oleifera and Bridelia ferruginea leaves in alloxan induced diabetic albino rats. Study design: Diabetes was induced in three groups of rats, one group was not treated while two groups were treated orally with M. oleifera and B. ferruginea extracts at 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight of rats twice for 1 week respectively. One group was not induced and received distilled water only. The anti-diabetic and liver enzymes activities were determined from blood glucose and transaminases activities of the rats. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biochemistry Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria, September, 2012. Methodology: Twenty-four albino rats were grouped into A, B, C and D group. Group C and D were further subdivided into C1, C2, C3, D1, D2 and D3, respectively. Diabetes was induced in all the groups, except group A (positive control). Group B (negative control) was not treated while group C and D were treated with aqueous extracts of M. oleifera and B. ferruginea leaves, which were administered orally to the animals twice daily for 1 week at varying concentrations of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weights. The glucose and liver enzymes levels were determined using glucometeric and spectrophotometric methods. Results: The results revealed that there was significant reductions (P < 0.05) in glucose level in rats treated with aqueous extract of B. ferruginea than M. oleifera treated rats. There were no significant reduction (P> 0.05) in Alkaline phosphatase level between the controls and the treated groups, except at 200 mg/kg dose in which Alkaline phosphatase level was high in rats treated with M. oleifera extract. There were significant reduction (P< 0.05) in Alanine aminotransaminase level in rats treated with both M. oleifera and B. ferruginea in comparison to the negative control while there was significant increase (P < 0.05) when compared to the positive control except at 200 mg/kg dose where there was decrease in Alanine aminotransaminase level in both plant extracts. Also there was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in AST level in rats treated with M. oleifera when compared to controls while there was significant increase (P< 0.05) in Aspartate aminotransaminase level in rats treated with B. ferruginea except at 200 mg/kg where there was decrease when compared to the controls. Conclusion: These suggest that both extracts can be used in ethno-medicine for the management of diabetes mellitus.