Effects of combined methanol extracts of Nauclea latifolia and Voacanga africana leaves on some biochemical indices of alloxan-induced diabetes in albino rats

Diabetes mellitus is a rampant global epidemy of multifactorial aetiology and risk factors. This present study was aimed at investigating the effects of combined methanol extracts of the leaves of N. latifolia and V. africana on some biochemical indices of alloxan-induced diabetes in albino rats. The rats were divided into eight groups of five rats each with group 1 as normal control, group 2 to 8 as treated diabetic control (2.0 mg/kg b.w. of glibenclamide), untreated diabetic control, 500mg/kg body weight. N.L., 500 mg/kg body weight V.A., 250 N.L.: 250 V.A., 375 N.L.:125 V.A and 125 N.L.:375 V.A respectively. The administration of the extracts was by oral (gavage) and the treatment lasted for 21 days. After 21 days, the rats were fasted overnight and sacrificed by cervical dislocation to get blood serum. All the analyses were done using standard analytical methods. The combined extracts exhibited antihyperglycaemic effect especially the 500 mg/kg b.w.N.L. and 375 NL and 125 V.A. The results disclosed that the rats of the normal control, treated diabetic control and the group administered with the 375 N.L.:125 V.A. significantly (p<0.05) increased the body weight of the rats. There was significant decrease (p <0.05) in the concentration of MDA in the rats of the treated diabetic control group and test groups when compared with rats of the untreated diabetic control. There was increase in catalase and GPx concentrations in the rats of the test groups when compared to rats of untreated diabetic control. The study also disclosed significant (p < 0.05) reduction in LDL-c, TC, TG and VDL-c, with an increase HDL-c. This study unveiled that the dose ratios of 375 N.L.:125 V.A, 500 mg/kg b.w. N.L and 250 N.L.:250 V.A efficiently reduced the blood glucose concentration and had better effect on the biochemical indices and therefore may be useful in the treatment of diabetes and diabetes-related complications.