Biochemical changes in diabetic rats treated with ethanolic extract of Chysophyllum albidum fruit-skin

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM), also known as diabetes, involves a group of metabolic disorders in which blood sugar levels are high over a prolonged period. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of 21 days administration of 100 and 200 mg per kg bodyweight of ethanolic extract of Chrysophyllum albidum (African star apple) fruit-skin on streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic Wistar albino rats. A randomized control trial was used. Diabetic state of test rats was induced with streptozotocin at a dose of 60 mg streptozotocin/kg body using saline (0.9% w/v NaCl) as vehicle. Upon confirmation of diabetic state, crude ethanolic extract of C. albidum was dissolved in citrate buffer at pH 4.2 before administration to the rats at specific doses. Results: Results show a significant (p < 0.05) decreased in the level of plasma creatinine and insulin but increased level of glucose in diabetic rats relative to control. Induction of diabetes significantly increased the activities of alanine aminotransferases and aspartate aminotransferases in the liver and kidney and activities of both enzymes were also correspondingly increased in the plasma. There was significant increase in the level of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and triglyceride, but decreased highdensity lipoprotein-cholesterol in the test rats. Results also show alterations in the antioxidant status of experimental rats. The diabetic-induced changes were reversed in diabetic rats upon administration of C. albidum extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight to levels comparable with control. Conclusion: The findings obtained revealed that ethanolic extract of C. albidum fruit-skin at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight reversed the effect of diabetes due to its antihyperglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemic and antioxidant properties. The antidiabetic effect of the extract may be due to its abundant flavonoid and alkaloid contents.