Dalbergiella welwitschia (Baker) Baker f. alkaloid-rich extracts attenuate liver damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the Dalbergiella welwitschia alkaloid-rich extracts on liver damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Hence, to induce diabetes, 45 mg/kg body weight of streptozotocin was intraperitoneally injected into the Wistar rats. Subsequently, 5 % (w/v) of glucose water was given to the induced animals for 24 h. Thus, the animals (48) were grouped into five groups (n = 8), containing normal control (NC), diabetic control (DC), diabetic rats placed on low (50 mg/kg body weight) and high (100 mg/kg body weight) doses of D. welwitschi alkaloid-rich leaf extracts (i.e. DWL and DWH respectively), and diabetic rats administered 200 mg/kg body weight of metformin (MET). The animals were sacrificed on the 21st day of the experiment, blood and liver were harvested, and different liver damage biomarkers were evaluated. The results obtained demonstrated that diabetic rats administered DWL, DWH and MET significantly (p < 0.05) increased hepatic AST, ALT, albumin, SOD, CAT, GSH, and GPX levels when compared to DC with no significant (p > 0.05) different when compared with NC. Also, diabetic rats administered DWL, DWH and MET revealed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in GGT and MDA levels, as well as, fragmented DNA and protein carbonyl levels when compared to DC with no significant (p > 0.05) different when compared with NC. In addition, histological examination revealed that diabetic rats placed on DWL, DWH and MET normalized the hepatocytes. Consequently, it can be inferred that alkaloid-rich extracts from D. welwitschi leaf could be helpful in improving liver damage associated with diabetes mellitus rats.

Aqueous extract of Solanum macrocarpon Linn leaves abates hyperglycaemia and expression of glucose transporters gene in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

PURPOSE: In this study, antihyperglycaemic and level of gene expression of glucose transporters in alloxan-induced diabetic rats administered aqueous extract of S. macrocarpon leaves were assessed. METHOD AND RESULTS: Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal (I.P) injection of freshly prepared alloxan. The animals were divided into six groups, euthanized on the fourteenth day of the experiment and different hyperglycaemic parameters were evaluated. Administration of different doses of the plant extract significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the fasting blood glucose level, glycated haemoglobin, serum lipid profiles, lipid peroxidation, and glucose-6-phosphatase. There was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in liver glycogen content, antioxidant enzyme activities, hexokinase activity, and expression of glucose transporter genes (GLUT-2 and GLUT-4) in diabetic rats administered different doses of S. macrocarpon. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that the aqueous extract of S. macrocarpon leaves could be helpful in the management of diabetes mellitus and its metabolic complications.

Prophylactic effect of aqueous extract of Sesamum indicum seeds on ethanol-induced toxicity in male rats.

The liver is vulnerable to alcohol-related injury because it is the primary site of alcohol metabolism. Additionally, a number of potentially dangerous by-products are generated as alcohol is broken down in the liver. However, dietary supplements may prevent or relieve some of alcohol's deleterious effects. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the prophylactic effect of aqueous extract of Sesamum indicum (SI) on ethanol induced toxicity in rats. Male Wistar albino rats were divided into control, ethanol, pre-treatment, simultaneous and post-treatment groups. In the prophylactic experiment, Sesamum indicum, (200 mg/kg body weight) was administered by oral gavage for 28 days; two hours before, simultaneously with or two hours after ethanol exposure. Toxicity was induced by administering 45% ethanol (4.8 g/kg bw) by oral gavage. Lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and gluthathione-S-transferase (GST) activities were then determined in the liver, serum triglyceride (TG) levels, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities were monitored and histological examination was carried out. The results revealed that ethanol administration led to significant elevation of TBARS level while depleting in the level of GSH as well as CAT, GPx, SOD and GST activities. Similarly, TG level and ALT and AST activities were elevated. The SI pre-treated group significantly inhibited TBARS, restored GSH level, enhanced CAT, GPx, SOD and GST activities and significantly decreased the elevated level of serum TG, ALT and AST activities. SI treatment (simultaneously with ethanol) exhibited similar effects to those of the SI pre-treated groups, while the SI post-treated group did not show the same protection as the Pre-treated group. S. indicum possesses antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties, that eliminate the deleterious effects of toxic metabolites of ethanol.

Potential of Piper guineense and Aframomum longiscapum to reduce radiation induced hepatic damage in male Wistar rats.

The ameliorative effect of aqueous extracts of Piper guineense and Aframomum longiscapum on radiation-induced hepatic damage was evaluated. Rats were treated with a single dose of 600 rads (6 Gy) y-radiation to induce hepatic damage. Aqueous extracts of Piper guineense and Aframomum longiscapum (200 and 400 mg/kg b. wt) were administered orally to rats for two weeks prior to radiation and four weeks after radiation. Hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) levels and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) activities were determined for their antioxidant capacity. The activities of serum markers such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and the histological changes were examined to evaluate potential ameliorative effects. Results from this study confirmed that exposure of animals to radiation led to induction of lipid peroxidation (LPO), reduced the level of GSH as well as CAT and GPx activities while simultaneously a significant elevation in the activities of serum ALT and AST was observed. Administration of varying doses of P.G. and A.L. before and after irradiation inhibited the elevated levels of LPO, restored the GSH level and enhanced CAT and GPx activities as well as significantly decreased the elevated levels of serum ALT and AST activities. This findings demonstrated that aqueous extracts of Piper guineense and Aframomum longiscapum might mitigate the liver gamma-radiation-induced damage probably by increasing antioxidant activities.