Antidiabetic and Antihypercholesterolemia Activities of Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) and Durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) Fruit Peel Extracts.

This research study aimed to explore the antidiabetic and antihypercholesterolemia activities of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) and durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.) fruit peels extracts. Diabetic rats induced by alloxan intra-peritoneal at dose 150 mg/kg.bw. Rats divided into eight groups, negative control received 0.5% CMC-Na, Glibenclamide 0.45 mg/kg.bw (positive control), groups of III, IV, and V were given ethanolic extracts of durian rind with successive doses of 500, 250, 125 mg/kg.bw, while groups of VI, VII and VIII were given of rambutan peels extracts for 11 days. Whereas, antihypercholesterolemia activity, high cholesterol gained by high-fat fed diet for 28 days and treated with the extracts for 14 days. The highest percentage reduction in blood glucose and cholesterol levels were shown of rambutan fruit peels extract with dose 500 mg/kg.bw and the value of percentage reduction were 61.76±4.26% and 60.75±8.26%, respectively which the activity were higher than positive control. While the durian rind extract with dose 500 mg/kg.bw had showed the reduction glucose levels at 50.19±3.66% and 35.82 ± 5.00% for reduction cholesterol levels. Nephelium lappaceum and Durio zibethinus peels extracts had the antidiabetic and antihypercholesterolemia activities at doses of 125 to 500 mg/kg.bw.

Safety assessment of hydroethanolic rambutan rind extract: Acute and sub-chronic toxicity studies.

This study evaluated the safety of rambutan rind extract (RRE) in male Wistar rats. While acute toxicity was evaluated by feeding the rats with single doses of RRE (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 mg/kg) and its sub-chronic toxicity was observed in rats orally administered with RRE (500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg) daily for 30 days. In acute toxicity study, the LD50 was found to be greater than 5000 mg/kg of RRE. In sub-chronic toxicity study, no mortality and sign of toxicity was found up to 1000 mg/kg/day of RRE. At 2000 mg/kg/day dose, the mortality rate was 12.5%. Significant decreases in body weight gain and food consumption were found in both acute and sub-chronic toxicity studies. In acute toxicity study, all the studied doses of RRE did not alter serum levels of triglyceride (TG), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). In sub-chronic toxicity study, all studied doses of RRE significantly decreased plasma levels of TG and blood urea nitrogen, but did not alter plasma levels of AST and ALT. TC levels did not show any significant change in both the studies. The obtained results provide basic information for in vivo experimental studies of the pharmacological potentiality of RRE.