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The liver is vulnerable to alcohol-related injury because it is the primary site of alcohol metabolism. Additionally, a number of potentially dangerous by-products are generated as alcohol is broken down in the liver. However, dietary supplements may prevent or relieve some of alcohol's deleterious effects. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the prophylactic effect of aqueous extract of Sesamum indicum (SI) on ethanol induced toxicity in rats. Male Wistar albino rats were divided into control, ethanol, pre-treatment, simultaneous and post-treatment groups. In the prophylactic experiment, Sesamum indicum, (200 mg/kg body weight) was administered by oral gavage for 28 days; two hours before, simultaneously with or two hours after ethanol exposure. Toxicity was induced by administering 45% ethanol (4.8 g/kg bw) by oral gavage. Lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and gluthathione-S-transferase (GST) activities were then determined in the liver, serum triglyceride (TG) levels, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities were monitored and histological examination was carried out. The results revealed that ethanol administration led to significant elevation of TBARS level while depleting in the level of GSH as well as CAT, GPx, SOD and GST activities. Similarly, TG level and ALT and AST activities were elevated. The SI pre-treated group significantly inhibited TBARS, restored GSH level, enhanced CAT, GPx, SOD and GST activities and significantly decreased the elevated level of serum TG, ALT and AST activities. SI treatment (simultaneously with ethanol) exhibited similar effects to those of the SI pre-treated groups, while the SI post-treated group did not show the same protection as the Pre-treated group. S. indicum possesses antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties, that eliminate the deleterious effects of toxic metabolites of ethanol.

Background This study sought to investigate anti-hyperglycemic potentials of free and bound phenolic-rich extracts of Andrographis paniculata (A. paniculata) leaves, commonly called "king of the bitter", a plant locally employed in folkloric alternative medicine. Method In vitro antioxidant potentials such as total phenolic and flavonoid contents were evaluated in addition to phosphomolybdenum reducing total antioxidant activity in bound and free polyphenol-rich extracts of A. paniculata. Also, following induction of diabetes through a single intraperitoneal injection of freshly prepared alloxan monohydrate (150 mg/kg body weight, b.w), diabetic rats were divided into seven (7) treatment groups with six rats each (n = 6) i.e. group 1 (normal control), 2 (diabetic untreated), 3 (5 mg/kg glibenclamide -treated control), while 4-7 were administered 50 and 100 mg/kg b.w of free and bound phenolic extracts of A. paniculata, respectively for twenty-one (21) days. Results There was a significant (p < 0.05) difference in hematological indices, hepatic biomarkers, total protein, antioxidant enzymes activities, total thiol and fasting blood glucose levels of diabetic groups administered polyphenolic-rich extracts of A. paniculata compared to diabetic untreated control. Similarly, serum insulin levels, hexokinase and glucose-6-phoshatase activities were significantly (p < 0.05) improved in phenolic-rich extracts of A. paniculata-treated diabetic groups compared to diabetic untreated control. A significant (p < 0.05) reduction was as well observed in the levels of inflammatory biomarkers such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) among extract of A. paniculata administered diabetic groups compared diabetic untreated group. Conclusions Anti-hyperglycemic activities demonstrated by polyphenolic-rich extracts of A. paniculata when compared to glibenclamide and normal control, could possibly have been occasioned by β-cell protection, restoration of glycolytic enzymes as well as mitigation of inflammatory markers via antioxidant defensive/protective properties of the extracts.

BACKGROUND:The prevalence of diabetes mellitus continues to increase alarmingly in spite of years of intensive research. The need to explore alternative therapy such dietary and phytotherapy has been gaining attention in the management/treatment of diabetes mellitus. OBJECTIVE: The present research work was carried out to investigate the biochemical indices in the liver and kidney of alloxan-induced diabetic rats fed with Artocarpus altilis fruit based-diet. METHODS: Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan (150 mg/kg) in albino rats. A total of thirty two albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) were grouped into four; control (non-diabetic rat), diabetic untreated rats, diabetic rats administered with metformin daily and diabetic rats fed with Artocarpus altilis fruit based-diet groups. Biochemical indices in the serum, liver and kidney were determined. RESULTS:The results shows significant (P < 0.05) decrease in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, urea, creatinine and lipid peroxidation of diabetic fed with Artocarpus altilis fruit based-diet. Also diabetic rats fed with Artocarpus altilis fruit based-diet demonstrated significant increase (p < 0.05) in albumin and total protein concentrations as well as antioxidant enzymes activities when compared with diabetic untreated rats and diabetic rats administered with metformin daily. CONCLUSION:The results obtained in this study demonstrated that consumption of Artocarpus altilis fruit based-diet may ameliorate the liver and kidney function indices of alloxan-induced diabetic rats.