The evaluation of the hypoglycemic effect of soft drink leaf extract of Phyllanthus amarus (Euphorbiaceae) in rats.

BACKGROUND

Phyllanthus amarus has been used in traditional medicine in Nigeria to treat some disease conditions. This study evaluated the soft drink extract (SDE) of the plant for antidiabetic activities in rats.

METHODS

Standard phytochemical methods were used to test for the presence of phytoactive compounds in the plant. Acute toxicity was carried out in mice to determine safe doses for this plant extract. The antidiabetic activities of the SDE of the plant were assessed using some standard tests as well as histological changes in liver, kidney and pancreas. Diabetes mellitus was induced in rats using alloxan, whereas glibenclamide at 0.2 mg/kg was the reference drug used in this study.

RESULTS

The SDE at 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight caused a significant reduction of fasting blood glucose, a significant change in the oral glucose tolerance test, a marked effect in the hypoglycemic activity test, and a pronounced reduction in the glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels of diabetic rats. Histopathologically, the liver of the diabetic nontreated and glibenclamide-treated groups showed widespread vacuolar change in the hepatocytes, but there was no visible lesion seen in the kidney and pancreas of extract-treated and glibenclamide-treated groups. No lesion was also seen in the liver of the SDE-treated group.

CONCLUSIONS

The results from this study may have validated the traditional basis for the use of P. amarus as antidiabetic agent with the pharmacological activities attributed to the presence of flavonoids and other phenolics contained in this plant. At the doses used, SDE also appeared safer than glibenclamide even though the latter is more potent.