International Journal of Biochemistry Research & Review

Aims: This study is a preliminary step in investigating the anti-diabetic effect of the methanolic extract of the leaf of Axonopus compressus (P. Beauv) in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Study Design/Methodology: Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of alloxan monohydrate at the dose of 180 mg/kg b.w was carried out to induce diabetes in the rat models. Different doses (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg b.w.) of the extract was administered per oral through gastric gavage to the alloxan induced diabetic rats, and 2 mg/kg b.w. of glibenclamide was used as the standard drug, and only tween 20 solution (10 ml/kg) given to the negative control group. AccuCheck Active® (an auto-analyzer) glucose kit was used to assay the effects of the P. Beauv extract and the standard drug on the fasting blood glucose level at 0, 1, 3 and 6 hr(s) using the blood collected through the snip made in the tail of the rats.

Results: The different doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg b.w. produced a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the blood glucose level of the alloxan-induced diabetic animal models in the degree of 31.5%, 19.8% and 24.5% respectively, compared to the negative control group and this was time dependent (at the end of the 6^th hour, although a decrease in the blood glucose was also noticed at the 1^st and 3^rd hours). 2 mg/kg glibenclamide decreased the blood glucose levels by 69.9% while the blood glucose level of the negative control group increased by 15.2% at the 6^th hour.

Conclusion: It is obvious from the above findings that Axonopus compressus deserves further investigations into the active ingredients and structural allucidation to validate the anti-diabetic property it possess.