Physiological Study on the Effect of Acalypha wilkesiana Leaves Extract on Streptozotocin-Induced Experimental Diabetes in Male Mice

Abstract

Problem statement: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that causes serious health complications and it is now one of the most common non-communicable diseases globally. It is the fourth or fifth leading cause of death in most high-income countries and there is substantial evidence that it is epidemic in many economically developing and newly industrialized nations. Recently, there has been a growing interest in antidiabetic agents from natural products especially those derived from plants. The antidiabetic agents have been focused on plants used in traditional medicine because that may be a better treatment than currently used synthetic drugs. Approach: The influence of Acalypha wilkesiana leaves extract on the levels of serum glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, sodium (Na), potassium (K) and Calcium (Ca) was investigated using Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. Diabetes was induced in male albino mice by single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg kg −1 body weight). The experimental animals were divided into four groups.The first group was untreated and served as normal control. The mice of second group were used as diabetic control group. The diabetic mice of third group were treated orally with A. wilkesiana leaves extract for 30 days. The normal mice of fourth group were treated orally with A. wilkesiana leaves extract at the same dose given to third group. Results: The diabetic mice showed significant increases in the levels of serum glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol and Na after 10, 20 and 30 days. Also, the level of K was statistically increased after 20 and 30 days, while the level of Ca was significantly elevated after 30 days. The diabetic mice given A. wilkesiana leaves extract showed significant decreases in the levels of serum glucose, cholesterol and K. Insignificant alterations in the values of serum triglycerides, Na and Ca were noted in diabetic mice treated with leaves extract at all periods of experiment. Conclusion/Recommendations: These new data indicate that A. wilkesiana represents an effective antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic adjunct and ameliorative role on electrolytes disturbances for the treatment of diabetes and a potential source of discovery of new therapeutic agent.

Acalypha wilkesiana extracts induce apoptosis by causing single strand and double strand DNA breaks

“…The leaves of the plant have also been used in diabetes and hypertension management (Ikewuchi and Anyadiegwu, 2008;Al-Attar, 2010). In fact, it has also been reported recently that the crude leaf extracts and fractions of this plant exhibit antiparasitaemic and analgesic properties (Udobang et al, 2010).…”

HYPOGLYCEMIC, HEPATO-RENAL AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF <i>CHAMOMILE</i> RECUTITA FLOWERS ETHANOLIC EXTRACT IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-DIABETIC RATS

“…Diet therapy along with insulin or oral hypoglycemic agent forms an important way of treatment in diabetes and its complications though it has several demerits (Dallak et al, 2009a;2009b). The major drawbacks of insulin therapy are the side effects, which include insulin allergy, lipodystrophy and lipoatropy, insulin antibodies and resistance, altered metabolic control, placental transfer of insulin antibodies, autoimmunity and other late complications like morphological changes in kidneys and severe vascular complications (Dallak et al, 2009b;Al-Attar, 2010). Similarly, the oral hypoglycemic drugs have many side effects such as nausea and vomiting, cholestatic jaundice, agranulocytosis, aplastic and haemolytic anemias, generalized hypersensitivity reactions, dermatological reaction and lactic acidosis (Khan and Shechter, 1991).…”

The Body Calming and Body Vitalizing Effects of <i>Vernonia Amygdalina</i> Leaf Extract and Leaf Powder and their Mechanisms

“…The antioxidant (Mucimapura et al, 2010;Balasubramanyam et al, 2006;Akbari-Asbagh et al, 2010;Al-Attar, 2010a;2010b) effects of V. amygdalina extract account for the energy-lowering effects of the extract that produced the calming of the body.…”