Evaluation of the Antidiabetic Effect of Sphenostylis stenocarpa Leaf Extract in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rat

Aims

To evaluate the antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, hypolipidaemic, haematological, and cardioprotective effects of Sphenostylis stenocarpa leaf extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Study Design: Experimental animal study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Abia State University, Nigeria, conducted over 28 days. Methodology: Seventy-eight male albino rats were used, comprising 30 rats for acute toxicity testing and 48 rats for the antidiabetic study. Diabetes was induced with streptozotocin (65 mg/kg body weight), and diabetic rats were treated orally with a low dose (400 mg/kg) or a high dose (800 mg/kg) of S. stenocarpa leaf extract, glibenclamide (3 mg/kg), an oral antidiabetic drug that lowers blood glucose primarily by stimulating pancreatic β-cells to increase insulin secretion, or metformin (100 mg/kg), an oral antidiabetic drug that lowers blood glucose mainly by reducing hepatic glucose production and improving insulin sensitivity, for 28 days. Body weight, blood glucose, liver and renal function, lipid profile, haematological indices, antioxidant parameters, inflammatory cytokines, and cardiac markers were assessed using standard methods.