ANTIHYPERGLYCAEMIC AND ANTIOXIDANT EFFECTS OF CROTON MEMBRANACEUS MULL. ARG (EUPHORBIACEAE)

Croton membranaceus (Mull. Arg.) Euphorbiaceae is a shrub that grows wild in West Africa. It is used by Ghanaian Traditional Medical Practitioners in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).  Research findings have provided some scientific bases for the use of this plant in the treatment of BPH. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the antihyperglycaemic and antioxidant activities of C. membranaceus. There isalso evidence suggesting an association between BPH and diabetes through a common pathogenic mechanism. Research findings also suggest that oxidative stress may be one of the major factors responsible for the development of BPH and diabetes. The antihyperglycaemic activity of three different doses (100, 300, 600 mg/kg body weight) of the ethanol (70 %) extract of C. membranaceus root was studied in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract of C. membranaceus root was also investigated using the spectrophotometric 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging method. C. membranaceus root extract showed a dose-dependent reduction of glucose levels over both short term and long term treatment period. This study also provided evidence that C. membranaceus root has significant antioxidant properties. These findings demonstrate for the first time the potential of C. membranaceus extracts in the management of type 1 diabetes mellitus and diseases in which oxidants or free radicals are implicated.