STUDIES ON OXIDATIVE STRESS MARKERS OF ALLOXAN ?INDUCED DIABETIC WISTAR RATS TREATED WITH TETRACARPIDIUM CONOPHORUM AND PIPER GUINEENSE (1:1 MIXTURE)

This study was designed to investigate the glucose levels and markers of oxidative stress on alloxan- induced diabetic wistar rats treated with ethanolic leaf extracts of 1:1 mixture of Piper guineense (PG) and Tetracarpidium conophorum (TC). A total of thirty rats weighing between 100-150g were used for this study. They were divided into six (6) groups comprising Normal control (received distilled water), Negative control (received 100mg/kg body weight of alloxan), Positive control (2.5mg/kg body weight) and test groups which received 300mg/kg body weight of Ethanol Extract of P. guineense (EAPG2), Ethanol Extract of T. conophorum (EATC3), Ethanol Extract of P. guineense + T. conophorum in ratio1:1 (EAPGTC4). Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal administration of 100mg/kg body weight of alloxan (A) for seven days. After treatment, the result showed that fasting blood glucose level in the test groups had significant (p<0.05) decrease when compared to the alloxan treated group only. Also, the oxidative stress markers indicated significant (p<0.05) decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) and significant (p<0.05) increase in antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase( CAT) and reduced gluthatione (GSH) comparable to test groups. Histopathological examination of the pancreas and liver tissue showed recovering and good cellularity on the pancreas and liver tissues. From the findings of this study, it can be concluded that 300mg/kg body weight of P. guineense and T. conophorum (1:1 mixture) exhibited hypoglycemic and antioxidant potentials ameliorating damages brought about by alloxan.