ABSTRACT
Tacazzea apiculata is used by traditional medical practitioners for the treatment of wide range of diseases. The current work investigated the hypoglycemic and antioxidant properties of Tacazzea apiculata Oliv. on alloxan induced diabetes mellitus. Five groups (n=10) of rats were fed on commercial diet. The rats were divided into Group 1 (NUT) as non-diabetic and untreated, group 2 (NDT) as non-diabetic and treated, group 3 (DT) diabetic and treated. Group 4 (DUT) as diabetic and untreated. Group five (CP) were diabetic treated with Chlorpropamide, a drug used in the management of diabetic mellitus, with no known antioxidant property. Diabetic induction was done by intra-peritoneal injection of 100 mg/kg b. wt with alloxan. Fasting blood glucose was estimated seven days after induction to determine the severity of glucose elevation among the induced groups. Methanolic extract of T. apiculata leaf was administered to alloxan induced diabetic and non-diabetic control rats at 100mg/kg body weight for four weeks and blood glucose estimated on weekly basis. Malondialdehyde level was also estimated in the sera of the rats. Blood glucose level was monitored for additional 2 weeks post treatment. The results indicated that the extracts possess significant hypoglycemic effect on the diabetic rats (DT) having the mean glucose of (95.2 ± 9.12 mg/dl) compared to the diabetic untreated control group (DUT) with a mean glucose of (238.91 ± 4.42 mg/dl, p<0.05). The effect was sustained even on withdrawal of the extracts for two weeks. This was accompanied by a progressive increase in weight among all treated diabetic rats and non diabetic treated (DT and NDT) compared with diabetic untreated control rat (DUT) (p<0.05). A raised level in malondialdehyde was also observed among the diabetic rat prior to treatment and significantly decreased after the treatment. In conclusion the research demonstrated the hypoglycaemic and antioxidant potential of methanolic leaf extract of T. apiculata in alloxan induced rats.
