Effect of Aqueous Leaf Extract of Hamelia patens jacq. on Some Biochemical Parameters in Alloxan- Induced Diabetic Albino Rats

Background: Medicinal plants is as old as man, they contain substances that can be used for therapeutic purposes with less toxicity. A number of these plants, leaf, herb and stem bark has been used in traditional medicine to treat diabetes for many years without sufficient scientific data.

Aim: Effect of aqueous leaf extract of Hamelia patensjacq. on some biochemical parameters in alloxan-induced diabetic albino rats was determined.

Method: The experimental animals (male Albino rats) were divided randomly into six groups of eight animals each. The test groups (2-6) were starved overnight followed by intraperitoneal administration of alloxan at 160mg/kg body weight. Treatment with the plant extract was for fourteen days. Group 1 was the normal control, group 2; diabetic untreated animals, group 3 received the standard drug gliclazide at 58mg/ml, groups 4, 5 and 6 were the extract treated groups at 400mg/kg body weight, 800mg/kg body weight and 1200mg/kg body weight respectively.

Results/Discussion: The mean lethal dose of the plant extract was above 5000mg/kg body weight. Total protein increased significantly (P<0.05) in the extract treated groups while, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanintransaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) had significant decreases (P<0.05) when compared to group 2. Malondialdehyde (MDA), decreased significantly (P<0.05) in the group that received the standard drug alongside the extract treated groups when compared to group 2, while Glutathione (GSH) and Superoxide dismutase had a significant decrease in groups 2 and 3 at (P<0.05) and was non significant in the extract treatedgroups at (P>0.05). The C-peptidesincreased significantly (P<0.05) in groups 4 to 6 when compared to the group 2 that had a higher significant increase (P<0.05).

Conclusion: The results show that aqueous leaf extract of Hamelia patens may possess anti-diabetic,anti-inflammatory, antihepatotoxic, antianemic, antioxidant and antilipidemic properties at the tested doses.