Protective Effect of Ethanolic Extract of Gongronema Latifolium Leaves in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

Gongronema latifolium is traditionally used in folk lore medicine for the treatment of various ailments. The effect of ethanolic extract of Gongronema latifolium on body weight, glucose level, lipid profile and hepatic markers was investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. For the investigation, rats were divided into four groups (control, diabetic untreated, diabetic treated with two different doses (200 and 400 mg/kg) extracts of G. latifolium) . The control rats were administered tap water and normal rat diet while alloxan monohydrate in a dose of 150 mg/kg body weight was administered once intraperitoneally to all the groups except control after the rats were confirm to be diabetic, G. latifolium extract in two doses of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg body weight was administered for 14 days to diabetic treated rats goups C and D respectively. The results revealed that treatment with alloxan monohydrate significantly increase (p<0.05) glucose, Serum total cholesterol (TC), total triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and a significant decrease in body weight and high density lipoprotein (HDL) level in diabetic untreated rats when compared with the control. However, treatment with G. latifolium extracts significantly reduces (p<0.05) or reverses the changes caused by alloxan treatment in all examined parameters. This study showed that G. latifolium extracts exerted a hypoglycemic effect; improved the lipid profile in diabetic rats and positively affected integrity and function of both liver and pancreas.