Comparative Study of Anti - Diabetic Effects of Ginger Lily (Costus afer Ker Gawl) Leaf and Snail (Archachatinamarginata) Slime on Alloxan Induced Swiss Albino Rat and their Absorptivity Characteristics

The study of anti-diabetic effects of Ginger Lily (Costus afer Ker Gawl) leaf which belongs to the family of Costaceae and Giant African Land Snail (Archachatina marginata) in this study has shown that their methanol extract is capable of reducing the blood glucose level of alloxan induced diabetic Swiss albino rat when treated orally. From the study carried out both the Costus afer leaf and Snail slime showed a positive effect on lowering the blood glucose level of a Swiss albino rat as compared with the standard Pharmaceutical drug (Glibenclamide, 5 mg/kg). The morphological investigation suggested that the pores were grouped into three sizes; small, medium and large pores. It was observed that majority of the pores were small and seen at 0.03µm2 for the plant extract, snail slime and combined extracts. The medium and large pores in the snail slime (0.58 µm2 and 54.87µm2) are bigger than that in the plant extract (0.15µm2 and 14.63µm2) and combined extracts (0.12 µm2 and 3.16 µm2) This suggests the availability of pores in the snail slime, on which the plant extract can be absorbed for the purpose of surface modification of the snail slime. The size of the medium and large pores in the combined extracts (CaLME/SSE) was lower than the respective pores in the plant extract and snail slime. This suggests high absorption of the plant extract into the pores of the snail slime. These also suggests that the surface of the snail slime was successfully modified by absorption of the plant extract into the pores present in the snail slime which results in the reduction of the sizes of the medium and large pores.