Effect of cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta), unripe plantain (Musa paradisiaca) or their combination on glycated hemoglobin, lipogenic enzymes, and lipid metabolism of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

CONTEXT: The possibility of combining unripe plantain [Musa paradisiacae Linn (Plantaginaceae)] and cocoyam [Colocassia esculenta Linn (Araceae)] in the management of diabetes has not been investigated. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic actions of unripe plantain and cocoyam. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diabetes was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (65 mg/kg body weight). Twelve days after STZ induction, respective groups of diabetic rats were fed cocoyam (810 g/kg), unripe plantain (810 g/kg), and unripe plantain + cocoyam (405:405 g/kg) for 28 d. Body weights, feed intake, biochemical parameters, namely serum glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), atherogenic index, coronary risk index, triacylglycerol, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), hepatic isocitrate dehydrogenase, malic enzyme, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase of the rats and phytochemical composition of the test and standard rat feeds were measured. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Cocoyam or unripe plantain alone significantly (p < 0.05) ameliorated the body weights (18.89 and 19.95% decreases, respectively) and biochemical parameters as compared with those of STZ controls (31.21% decrease). While combination of cocoyam and unripe plantain significantly (p < 0.05) ameliorated the biochemical parameters of the rats (except HbA1C), it did not ameliorate their body weights (28.53% decrease). The feed intake of the experimental rats did not differ from each other (p > 0.05) at the end of experimentation and the feed samples contained considerable amounts of saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, and tannins. CONCLUSION: Cocoyam or unripe plantain alone showed better antihyperglycemic and anihyperlipidemic action than their combination.

Effect of Livingstone Potato (Plectranthus esculenthus N.E.Br) on Diabetes and Its Complications in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetes in Rats.

BACKGROUND: The effect of livingstone potato (Plectranthus esculenthus N.E.Br) on diabetes and its complications in Streptozotocin induced diabetic rats was investigated. The duration of the experiment was 4 weeks. METHODS: The blood glucose level of the rats was measured with a glucometer, the protein and glucose and specific gravity in the urine samples of the rats were measured using urine assay strips and urinometer respectively. The liver and kidney function parameters in the serum of the rats were determined using Biosystem Kits. RESULTS: The diabetic rats given livingstonepotato incorporated feeds, had 129.7% decrease in their hyperglycemia with corresponding amelioration of their elevated urinary protein, sugars, specific gravity, renal growth, liver growth as well as 15.64% decrease in body weights compared with the nondiabetic rats that had 5.54% decrease in blood glucose and 20.39% increase in body weight unlike the diabetic control rats that had 18.34% decrease in blood glucose and 52.68% decrease in body weight. There were significant differences (P<0.05) in the relative liver, pancreas, and kidney weights of the diabetic rats given livingstone potato feeds compared with the diabetic control while there were no significant differences (P>0.05) in the relative heart weights of all the rats in the three different groups. In terms of liver and kidney function parameters, values obtained for the diabetic rats given livingstone potato incorporated feeds were not significantly different from that of the nondiabetic rats except for total bilurubin, aspartate transaminase, and creatinine (P>0.05) while they were significantly different from the values obtained for the diabetic control rats (P<0.05). In addition, the serum amylase of the diabetic control rats were significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of the nondiabetic and diabetic rats treated with livingstone potato incorporated feeds. CONCLUSION: Results show the antidiabetic actions of livingstone potato and its ability to ameliorate glomerular complication and liver hypertrophy in diabetics.