Biochemical Changes of Ethanolic Leaf Extract Psidum guajava of on Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats

Egege AN Akubugwo EI, Nwaogwugwu JC*

 

Affiliations: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Abia State University, Uturu

 

ABSTRACT

 

Background: Diabetes mellitus (or diabetes) is a chronic, lifelong condition that affects the bodyâs ability to use the energy found in food due to absolute or relative deficiency of insulin secretion with/without varying degree of insulin resistance. The work is aimed at evaluating the biochemical changes on ethanolic leaf extract Psidum guajava of in streptozotocin induced diabetic albino rats. Methods: A total of seventy (70) ratus norvegicus rats were randomly divided into 5 groups of seven rats in each group. Group A served as normal control and received normal saline (2 ml/kg body weight). Group B was treated Streptozotocin, Group C was treated with Streptozoto­cin and 200 mg/kg body weight of extract, D was treated with Streptozotocin and 400 mg/kg body weight of extract and E was treated Strepto­zotocin and 5 mg/kg body weight of metformin. Glucose level, levels of renal function status biomarkers and hepatic function biomarkers were determined at the end of the study (28 days). Result: Acute toxicity test revealed no mortality at maximum dose of 5000 mg/kg which suggests that test substance is safe for the doses used for this study. The result in liver enzymes shows significant (p<0.05) increases in AST, ALP and ALP when compared to the normal control but showed reduction in the protein level. Group B showed significant (p<0.05) increase in urea when compared with the normal control while Group C (200 mg/kg), Group D (400 mg/kg) and Group E (5 mg/kg metformin) showed decreases in the levels of Creatinine when compared to normal control rats. All doses of the plant extract significantly (p<0.05) mitigated change; the reversals at 200 mg/kg body weight of the extract compared well (p<0.05) with their respective non- streptozotocin normal saline treatment control animals in 400 mg/kg of the parameters investigated. Conclusion: Conclusively, the study demonstrated that ethanoic leaf extract of P. guajava can reverse the hyperglycemia associated with diabetes mellitus, when compared with a known standard drug metformin. There is need for further researches which will be aimed at isolating and packaging the bioactive compounds responsible for this effect into finished pharmaceutical product.

 

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