Abstract

This study aimed to determine the potential of Triumfetta pentandra as hypoglycemic, antihyperglycemic agent and to view the effects of this plant on the lipid profile of the experimental animals. The effects of aqueous extracts (200 and 400mg/kg b.w) and the dissolved powder (200 and 400mg/kg b.w) on fasting blood glucose was examined using both normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat models. The Hypoglycaemic, antihyperglycemic activity was compared with the clinically available drug metformin. In normal rats, all the test groups receiving the plant, the was a time dependent increase from 0min to 60min, with the peak being at 60min. After one hour, there was a slight decrease in fasting blood glucose. No hypoglycaemic effect was viewed in the test groups. Concerning the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in normal rats, dissolved powder at a dose of 200mg/kg b.w (TP200) showed the maximum tolerance to glucose after 2h of experiment. In the diabetic models, TP200 showed greatest hypoglycaemic activity with a decrease of 25.38%, followed by TE400 (aqueous extract at a dose of 400mg/kg b.w) with a reduction in Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) of 16.47%. The antihyperglycemic study revealed that after two hours of administration of samples, the aqueous solution of TP200 caused the smallest increase in blood sugar (+6.77%), followed by TE400 (+8.69%). On the other side the group receiving metformin (200mg/ kg b.w) showed a slight decrease of 3.76% in FBG. After a period of 14 days of treatment, the glycemia of the animals were also evaluated. Administration of TP200 (200mg/kg, b.w.) and TE400 (400mg/kg, b.w.) to diabetic rats showed a significant glucose lowering effect on ^7?th and ^14?th day.

Keywords:Hyperglycemia; Diabetes mellitus; Streptozotocin; Triumfetta pentandra; Hypoglycemic test; Antihyperglycemic test