Hypoglycemic and antioxidative activities of ethanol seed extract of Hunteria umbellate (Hallier F.) on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract

Background Diabetes, a global cause of mortality in developing countries is a chronic disorder affecting the metabolism of macromolecules and has been attributed to the defective production and action of insulin characterized by persistent hyperglycemic properties. This global disorder harms organs of the body such as the liver, kidney and spleen. Medicinal plants such as Hunteria umbellate have been shown to possess hypoglycemic, antioxidative and anti-diabetic properties owing to the high concentration of active phytochemical constituents like flavonoids and alkaloids. The present study seeks to evaluate the hypoglycemic activities of ethanolic seed extract of Hunteria umbellate on streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats. Methods Thirty (30) female experimental rats were randomly divided into five groups with six rats per group and were administered streptozotocin (STZ) and Hunteria umbellate as follows. Group 1 served as control and was given only distilled water, group 2 rats were administered 60 mg/kg STZ; Group 3 was administered 60 mg/kg STZ and 100 mg/kg metformin; group 4 rats were administered 60 mg/kg STZ and 800 mg/kg Hunteria umbellate, group 5 rats 60 mg/kg STZ and 400 mg/kg Hunteria umbellate. The fasting blood glucose level of each rat was measured before sacrifice. Rats were then sacrificed 24 h after the last dose of treatment. Results The results showed that Hunteria umbellate significantly reversed STZ-induced increase in fasting blood glucose and increase in body and organs weight of rats. Hunteria umbellate significantly reversed STZ-induced decrease in antioxidant enzyme in liver, kidney and spleen of rats. Hunteria umbellate significantly reversed STZ-induced increase in oxidative stress markers in liver, kidney and spleen of rats. Conclusion Collectively, our results provide convincing information that inhibition of oxidative stress and regulation of blood glucose level are major mechanisms through which Hunteria umbellate protects against streptozotocin-induced diabketes rats.

The ameliorative potential of aqueous extract of <i>Hunteria unbellata</i> on alloxan—induced diabetes and hyperlipidemia in Wistar rats

“…In this study, a significant (p<0.05) increase in the peroxidation level was observed in the diabetic rats which agrees with Esteghamati et al (2013). Also, diabetes models were seen to have a depleted glutathione concentration and decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes (CAT & SOD), which corresponds to results obtained by Olubunke et al (2021).…”

“…Similar report has been documented in another study using the ethanolic leaf extract of Senna alata (Onyegeme-Okerenta & Anacletus, 2017). Ogunlana et al (2021) also recorded a decline in glucose level of the diabetic animals after treatment with methanolic seed extract of H. umbellataon streptozotocin induced diabetic Wistar rats. Also, at the highest dose (2500mg kg -1 ) there was a less but significant reduction on the blood glucose level of the rats, which is in agreement with the findings of Nwaogwugwu et al (2022).…”

Free radical scavenging activity, pancreatic lipase and a-amylase inhibitory assessment of ethanolic leaf extract of Phyllanthus amarus

“…WHO exerted a expert group on diabetes which further suggested folklore methods of treatment in managing the disease, due to the increased death rate resulting from the problems caused by the adoption of commonly used anti-diabetic therapeutic agents (citation needed). Various natural products are used in the management of diabetes traditionally but it is vital to validate their mechanism of action (21).…”

Upregulation of Antioxidative Gene Expression by Lasia spinosa Organic Extract Improves the Predisposing Biomarkers and Tissue Architectures in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Models of Long Evans Rats

“…In this study, liver and kidney weights are increased and spleen and pancreas weights are either decreased or unchanged. An increase (hypertrophy) in the weight of liver could be attributed to increased triglyceride accumulation leading to enlarged liver, which could be due to the increased influx of fatty acids into the liver induced by hypoinsulinemia and the low capacity of excretion of lipoprotein secretion from the liver [ 34 ]. The increase of kidney weight may be due to the diabetic glomerular of renal hypertrophy; increased glomerular volume, mesangial proliferation, and accumulation of glomerular extracellular matrix were due to growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) [ 35 ].…”