Preliminary study of antidiabetic activity of the methanolic leaf extract of Axonopus compressus (P. Beauv) in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Axonopus Compressus is commonly used by the people of Southern Nigeria to treat different ailment such as common cold and diabetes. This study therefore, evaluated the anti-diabetic effect of the methanolic leaf extract of the plant.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diabetes was induced in the rats by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of alloxan monohydrate at the dose of 180 mg/kg. Three test doses of the extract (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg) administered per os through gastric gavage to the rats were used in the study. The activity was compared to a standard reference drug (glibenclamide, 2mg/kg) and a negative control. Blood from the tail snip was used to measure the effects of the extract and drug at 0, 1, 3 and 6 h using autoanalyzer (AccuCheck Active(®)) glucose kit.

RESULTS: Methanolic leaf extract of Axonopus compressus at all the doses (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg) used caused a respective time dependent and significant (p<0.0001) reduction (by 31.5%, 19.8% and 24.5%) of the blood glucose levels in the diabetic rats when compared to the negative control group at the 6th hour. However, the reference drug (glibenclamide, 2 mg/kg) decreased the blood glucose levels by 69.9% and the tween 20 solution (negative control) increased the blood glucose level by 15.2% at the 6th hour. Moreso, the extract at the different test doses caused various degrees of reduction of the blood glucose levels of the test rats at 1st, 3rd and 6th hours when compared to the negative control rats.

CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that Axonopus compressus may possess antidiabetic property.