European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

HYPOGLYCEMIC AND ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITIES OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF PSEUDOLACHNOSTYLIS MAPROUNEIFOLIA VAR. MAPROUNEIFOLIA PAX (EUPHORBIACEAE) STEM BARK IN EXPERIMENTAL WISTAR RATS

Cimanga K. R.*, Kambu K. O., Kalonji C. S.,Vlietinck, A. J. and Pieters L.

ABSTRACT

The present scientific work was designed to investigate potential hypoglycaemic and antidiabetic activities of aqueous extract of Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifoilia var. maprouneifolia stem bark and its soluble fractions in experimental Wistar rats. Results indicated, in normal treated animals, at the highest oral dose of 600 mg/kg body weight, aqueous extract reached significant reduction of blood glucose to 68.5±0.1 mg/dl while its chloroform, ethylacetate, n-butanol and residual aqueous soluble fractions reduced blood glucose level from 81.5.±0.2 to 77.2±0.1 mg/dl compared to untreated group (86.8±0.1 mg/dl, 0% reduction of blood glucose) after 180 min of observation. Glibenclamide reached until 66.6±0.3 mg/dl (23.88%) reduction of blood glucose These results indicated that samples of P. maprouneifolia var. maprouneifolia stem abrk and glibenclamide possess hypoglycaemic activity. On the other hand, the administration of aqueous extract and its fractions in treated diabetic Wistar rats at the highest oral dose of 600 mg/kg body weight causes significant reduction of glucose level ranging from 140.4 ±1.7 to 170.8±1.3 mg/dl compared to untreated diabetic animals with (202.7±0.3 mg/kg) after 180 min of observation. The observed concentration of glucose in diabetic rats after 180 min of observation was high and these animals were submitted to a particular treatment aiming the reduction of glucose level under 100 mg/dl. Thus, after 21 days of treatment, the aqueous extract and its fractions produced significant reduction of glucose level in treated diabetic animals ranging from 119.3±0.5 to 128.6 ±0.3 mg/dl at Day 21 and from 86.3±1.1 to 90.0±0.7 at Day 30 compared to untreated diabetic animals (248.3±0.2 and 257.6±0.3 mg/dl respectively) as a sign of their antidiabetic properties. These results demonstrated that these samples have hypoglycaemic and antidiabetic activities. In addition, aqueous extract showed good antihyperglycemic effect in treated animals. Glibenclamide used as a reference product exhibited high activities compared to the tested samples. These results constitute a scientific base supporting and justifying the use of P. maprounefolia var. maprouneifolia stem bark for the treatment of diabetes mellitus type 2 in traditional medicine in Democratic Republic of Congo and other African countries where it is found.

Keywords: Pseudolacnhostylis maprouneifolia var. maprouneifolia, Euphorbiaceae, stem bark, aqueous extract, hypoglycaemic, antidiabetic and antihyperglycemic activities.