Assessment of the Secondary Metabolites of the Aerial Extract of <i>Ocimum Tenuiflorum</i> for Anti-Diabetic Potential
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Keywords
Ocimum Tenuiflorum, Secondary Metabolites, Anti-Diabetic, Therapeutic Potential.
Abstract
Background: Ocimum tenuiflorumis an important plant in Africa with diverse medicinal properties. This study investigates the anti-diabetic effects of Ocimum tenuiflorum methanol-ethyl acetate (2:1) extract (OTE) on alloxan-induced diabetic rats.
Methodology: Thirty rats (90-100g) acclimatized for one week were grouped into 5 (n=6). Group 1 (Normal control) received distilled water. The other groups were administered a single dose of 100 mg/kg alloxan intraperitoneally and treated as follows: Group 2 (olive oil), Groups 3 and 4 (200mg/kg and 400mg/kg OTE, respectively), and Group 5 received 5mg/kg glibenclamide. After twenty-one days of treatment, the rats were fasted overnight and sacrificed. Blood and liver samples were collected for analysis. Blood glucose status was measured using a glucometer. Serum insulin concentration was measured using an Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Antioxidant assays were assessed via spectrophotometry. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: Blood glucose level increased while insulin concentration reduced in diabetic controls relative to normal rats. Conversely, a dose-dependent reduction was observed in the glucose level, while insulin concentration returned to near normal with increasing doses of OTE compared to the normal control. It was observed that GSH level, CAT, and GST activities decreased significantly in diabetic control relative to normal control. Meanwhile, treatment with doses of OTE caused a dose-related increase in these antioxidant parameters, significantly compared to the normal control. MDA showed a significant increase in the untreated group relative to the normal control. However, MDA concentration declined drastically (P<0.01) in a dose-dependent manner upon treatment with OTE relative to normal rats.
Conclusion: It could be inferred from the results above that OTE may exhibit its anti-diabetic potential via enhancing the synthesis of insulin and scavenging of free radicals. This study showed that the extract can be used in the treatment of diabetes and can be formulated into a novel drug or supplement.
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