Effects of Some Nigerian Medicinal Plants on Hyperglycemia and Dyslipidemia in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

This present work was designed to study the antidiabetic effect of four medicinal plants and their ability to reverse indicated dyslipidemia. The complications were accessed via atherogenic index (AI), coronary risk index (CRI) and cardiovascular risk index (CVRI). Sixty adult male albino rats weighing 125-136g were selected and divided randomly into 12 groups of 5 animals each for 18days, as follows (1) normal control group (2) negative control group (3) positive control (1) insulin, (4) positive control (Atorvastatin) (5) test group, cucurbita pepoli linn –LD (6) test group cucurbita pepoli linn –HD (7) solanum aethiopicum-LD (6) test group, solanum aethiopicum-HD (9) test group; spondias mombiin linn-LD (10) test group; spondias mombin linn -HD (II) test groups; Garcinia kola –LD (12) test groups; Garcinia kola-HD. Serum cooncentrations of total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), triglycerides (TGs) and glucose were measured at the end of period in all studied groups. Administration of 200 and 400mg/kg aqueous extracts of the four medicinal plants resulted in a significantly decreased glucose, TC, TGs, LDL levels and increased HDL levels, as compared with the control group and diabetic control group. These results suggests that the aqueous extracts of the four medicinal plants exert significant effects on blood lipids and glucose level in diabetic rats and are useful in the tretament of diabetes. Increased AI, CRI, and CVRI were noted in the intoxicated rats and were reduced on treatment. The medicinal plants exerted antidiabetic effect and also reversed dyslipidemia associated with diabetes and prevented cardiovascular complications that are prevalent in diabetic patients.