Abstract:
The importance of plants as sources of natural bioactive compounds cannot be overemphasized in view of their pharmacological or phytotherapeutic effect. This research was aimed at investigating the antihyperglycemic and hepatocurative activity of the chloroform and ethanol leaf extracts of Hippocratea myriantha on alloxan-induced diabetic male wistar rats. The percentage yield of the chloroform and ethanol leaf extracts (2:1) of Hippocratea myriantha were 9.84% and 2.12% respectively. Qualitative phytochemical analysis of both extracts (chloroform and ethanol) showed the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, saponin and steroids. However, the ethanol extract of Hipporatea myraintha alone contains alkaloids and glycosides, while terpenoids were not detected in the both extracts. The quantitative phytochemical analysis in this study indicates that the chloroform and ethanol leaf extracts of Hippocratea myriantha contains respectively; saponin (1.16 ± 0.05 and 1.87 ± 0.061 mg/g); flavonoids (1.84 ± 0.04 and 5.17 ± 0.14 mg/g), phenols (1.93 ± 0.5 and 1.97 ± 0.01) and tannins (1.74 ± 0.03 and 0.41 ± 0.09 mg/g) while the ethanol extract alone has alkaloid (0.07 ± 0.02 mg/g); glycoside (0.76 ± 0.01 mg/g). The acute toxicity (LD50) test of the chloroform and ethanol leaf extracts of Hippocratea myriantha showed that the plant extracts were not toxic up to 5000 mg/kg b.w. The reduction in the blood glucose level in the test groups was significant (p < 0.05) compared to group 2 (untreated). The effects of the extract on aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities showed that there was non significant (p > 0.05) difference amongst the test groups when compared to normal control. However, the test groups were found to be significantly (p < 0.05) lower when compared to groups 2 (untreated). The result of this study revealed that there was a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in total bilirubin and direct bilirubin concentration in the treated groups compared to the untreated animals (group 2). The result showed that MDA level in the treated group reduced significantly (p < 0.05) when compared to the group 2 untreated animals. The histopathology result showed various effects on the liver. A random, multifocal, variably-sized areas of hepatocellular necrosis was observed in the liver of group 2 rats (untreated) when compared to the normal control. Group 5 and group 7 showed mild random hepatocellular necrosis compared to group 2 (untreated). However, group 4, 6, 8 and 9 showed normal morphology of liver lobules when compared to group 2 (untreated). The results obtained from this study showed that chloroform and ethanol leaf extracts of Hippocratea myriantha may be used for the treatment of diabetes.
