Title : Anti-diabetic effects of selected aqueous plant extracts on HFD-STZ induced diabetic rats
Abstract:
Type 2 diabetes accounts for roughly 90% of all diabetes cases, and cardiovascular events in people with Type 2 Diabetes are a primary source of increased risk of premature death globally. Due to the side effects associated with many pharmacological treatments for the disease, there is a growing interest in using extracts of plant products for the management of diabetes. However, in most studies there is paucity of information on the use of extract and its effect on Type 2 diabetes when extraction is done with distilled water to mimic the usual conditions for human consumption, as well as when different plant extracts are combined. This study explored the anti-diabetic properties and other effects of aqueous extracts of selected plant products (bitter kola, bitter leaf, ginger, and okro) on a high-fat diet-streptozotocin (HFD-STZ) induced diabetic Sprague Dawley rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=50), weighing between 150 and 200g, were divided into 10 groups of 5 animals, including two control groups. The rats were fed a high-fat diet for 35 days, followed by intraperitoneal injection with streptozotocin to induce diabetes. Animals with fasting blood glucose levels >7.0 mmol/L were considered diabetic and were given treatments with aqueous extracts of okro, bitter leaf, bitter kola, ginger, and combinations of these. Fasting blood glucose levels and body weight were monitored weekly. After 12 weeks of treatment, rats were sacrificed, organs were collected, weighed, and relative organ weights calculated. The bitter kola group exhibited significant weight loss (210.5 ± 22.47; p<0.05). Significant reductions in body mass index (BMI) were recorded in the bitter kola (0.38 ± 0.04 kg/m²), ginger (0.47 ± 0.04 kg/m²), and okro (0.46 ± 0.04 kg/m²) groups (p<0.05). Although fasting blood glucose levels were not statistically different across groups, the extracts helped control blood glucose levels. No statistical differences were found in relative organ weights. This exploratory study suggests that aqueous extracts of bitter kola, ginger, bitter leaf, and okra may have beneficial effects in managing diabetes by reducing weight and BMI in HFD-STZ diabetic rat models. While fasting blood glucose and organ weights did not differ significantly, the observed metabolic control indicates potential for these plant products as complementary treatments for diabetes.
