Modulation of the lipid profile and insulin levels of streptozotocin induced diabetic rats by ethanol extract of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius leaves and some fractions: Effect on the oral glucose tolerance of normoglycemic rats.

BACKGROUND: No study to date has investigated the effect of different polar solvent extracts from Cnidoscolus aconitifolius leaves on glycemic control as used in folk medicine. Hence this study which investigated the effect of ethanol extract and fractions of C. aconitifolius leaves on body weights, relative organ weights, serum levels of glucose, lipid profiles and insulin in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats and on oral glucose tolerance of normoglycemic rats. METHODS: The ethanol extract was partitioned using methanol, hexane and chloroform to obtain different fractions. RESULTS: The ethanol extract, fractions or glibenclamide demonstrated hypoglycemic/therapeutic actions as seen from the reduction of serum glucose but increase in serum insulin and body weights of the diabetic rats at the end of experimentation following their administration, unlike the diabetic control that had significant alteration of these parameters with respect to the normal control. Whereas the diabetic control had significant increase in pancreatic weights with no alteration in the heart weights, the ethanol extract, fractions or glibenclamide had no effect on these organs. The ethanol extract, methanol fractions or glibenclamide showed better hypoglycemic actions than the n-hexane or chloroform fractions at the doses used and results obtained were corroborated by histology. Furthermore, the ethanol extract, n-hexane (at 250mg/kg) and methanol fractions or glibenclamide improved glucose tolerance in glucose loaded normal rats. The methanol fraction (500mg/kg) demonstrated anti-hypercholesterolemic, anti-hypertriglyceridemic and insulin modulatory properties in a manner akin to glibenclamide. Acute toxicity study revealed the non toxicity of the plant CONCLUSION: The study justifies the use of polar solvent extracts of this plant in the management of diabetes mellitus.

Effect of kolaviron, a biflavanoid complex from Garcinia kola on some biochemical parameters in experimentally induced benign prostatic hyperplasic rats.

BACKGROUND: To determine the effect of kolaviron on some biochemical parameters in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) rats. METHODS: BPH was induced in rats using a mixture of dihydrotestosterone and estradiol valerate (10:1). RESULTS: The lethal dose of kolaviron was 3050mg/kg body weight. Body weights, relative heart weight (RHW), relative liver weight (RLW), serum levels of prostate specific antigen, prolactin, estradiol, testosterone, testosterone/estradiol ratio, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), urea, creatinine and prostatic levels of total proteins in the normal rats administered finasteride (standard drug) or kolaviron were not different (P>0.05) from normal control whereas most of these parameters were altered in the disease control except RHW, RLW, AST and ALT. Finasteride (5mg/70kg) or kolaviron (100 and 200mg/kg) ameliorated most of these parameters compared with disease control except RHW, RLW, prolactin, AST, ALT, urea and creatinine (for kolaviron at 100mg/kg). The normal rats administered finasteride or kolaviron had decreased prostate weights (P<0.05) compared with the normal control which results were corroborated by histological assay that also showed that treatment with kolaviron (200mg/kg) or finasteride reversed the histoarchitecture of the prostates of the BPH rats. CONCLUSION: Kolaviron could be useful in the management of BPH.

Acute and Cytotoxicity Studies of Aqueous and Ethanolic Leaf Extracts of Chromolaena odorata.

Chromolaena odorata, a commonly used traditional remedy for different ailments, believed to be quite safe in terms of toxicity was evaluated for acute toxicity and cytotoxic potentials. Acute toxicity was done on albino Wistar rats using the Lorke method while brine shrimps were used to test for cytotoxicity. The results showed that the estimated LD50 for the aqueous and ethanolic extracts was 2154 and > 5000 mg kg(-1) body weight, respectively. Cytotoxicity to brine shrimps showed LC50 values of 324 and 392 ppm for aqueous and ethanolic extracts, respectively. These results indicate the relative non toxic nature of Chromolaena odorata extracts.

Ameliorative Potentials of Ginger (Z. officinale Roscoe) on Relative Organ Weights in Streptozotocin induced Diabetic Rats.

The ameliorating potentials of ginger incorporated feed (10%) on the relative organ weights of Streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats was investigated. The experiment lasted for three weeks. Results show that administration of 10% ginger feed to the diabetic rats of group 3, resulted in a 29.81% decrease in their resulting hyperglycemia with a corresponding amelioration of elevated urinary protein, sugars, specific gravity as well as renal growth. In addition, administration of the ginger incorporated feeds to the diabetic rats of group 3, resulted in 9.88% increase in body weight with a corresponding 60.24% increase in growth compared with the non-diabetic rats administered standard rat pellets that had 6.21% increase in weight with a corresponding 60.14% increase in growth unlike the diabetic control rats that recorded 28.62% decrease in body weight with a corresponding 239.9% decrease in growth rates. Analysis of the chemical composition of the flour of the ginger incorporated feed indicated that it contained moderate amounts of moisture, crude fibre, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, Fe and Zn but considerable amounts of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, ash, flavonoids, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous and energy value. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) in the liver and relative liver weights of the diabetic control rats and the diabetic -ginger treated rats. In addition, there were no significant differences in the kidney weights of the non-diabetic, diabetic control and diabetic treated rats (P>0.05) while there were significant differences in the relative kidney weights of the non-diabetic rats and the diabetic rats treated with ginger feeds (P<0.05). Results show that the use of ginger in the dietary management of diabetes mellitus could be a breakthrough in the search for novel plants that could prevent the development of diabetic glomerular hypertrophy.

Alterations in the liver histology and markers of metabolic syndrome associated with inflammation and liver damage in L-arginine exposed female Wistar albino rats.

Metabolic Syndrome (MES), a cluster of metabolic disorders, is pandemic and more prevalent in females. It was associated with inflammation, liver damage and reduced nitric oxide concentration. Since L-arginine (ARG) may enhance nitric oxide synthesis, this study investigated the effect of ARG on the liver histology and selected serum markers of MES related to inflammation and liver damage. Two groups (n = 8) of female Wistar albino rats were exposed to 60 mg kg(-1) b. wt. of ARG and 3 mL kg(-1) b.wt. of distilled water, respectively as treated and control groups. Per oral exposure to ARG for twenty eight days caused a non-significant increase (p > 0.05) in the neutrophils count (22.50 +/- 10.35%, representing 38.46%) but a decrease (p > 0.05) in the lymphocytes count (77.50 +/- 10.35%, representing 8.82%) and in the total bilirubin concentration (0.40 +/- 0.19 mg/100 mL, representing 52.38%) of the rats, suggesting non-treatment related influence on these parameters. However, the exposure elicited a significant decrease (p < 0.01) in the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity (66.47 +/- 0.37 IU L(-1), representing 18.55%) and in the total White Blood Cell (WBC) count (2.73 +/- 0.75 x 10(9) L(-1), representing 43.24%), suggesting absence of inflammation and liver damage. ALT had a significant positive correlation with WBC (r = 0.01), while the liver histology revealed possible benefit in the ARG-fed rats, seeminlgly confirming benefit on these markers of inflammation and liver damage that could improve related MES features in the rats. Further studies using ARG rich nuts are required to harness insight gained from this study.