Anti-hyperlipidaemic and antioxidant effect of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Cassia italica leaves in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats

The earth is richly endowed with a variety of plants. Most of the naturally occurring plants possess medicinal properties and are thus potential sources of remedies for virtually all human ailments. The present study was designed to evaluate the hypolipidaemic and antioxidant effects of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Cassia italica leaves in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes mellitus in rats. Lipid peroxidation as assayed by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) was significantly reduced (p ≤ 0.05) in STZ -induced diabetic rats on treatment with ethanolic and aqueous extracts of C. italica leaf. Oral administration of 200 mg/kg body weight of both extracts to diabetic rats for sixty-three days improved serum glucose, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides levels, among other parameters. The observed anti-lipidaemic and antioxidative effect of the plant extracts against oxidative stress in diabetic rats may be attributed to the presence of flavonoids, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, tannins and phenols among the plant constituents. Flavonoids are known to be antioxidants, free radical scavengers and anti-lipoperoxidant. From the results of this study, it is evident that extracts (aqueous and ethanolic) of leaf of C. italicahave anti-lipidaemic and antioxidative properties.   Key words: Streptozotocin, diabetes mellitus, Cassia italica extracts, antilipid, antioxidant.