GLUCOREGULATORY EFFECT OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF PICRALIMA NITIDA SEEDS IN RATS MADE DIABETIC BY ALLOXANE

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by fasting blood glucose levels above 1.26 g/L. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the methanolic extract of Picralima nitida seeds on insulin and blood glucose levels in diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in normoglycemic rats by injection of 1 mL alloxane at a dose of 125 mg/kg bw for three consecutive days. Blood samples were taken every other day to determine insulin and blood glucose levels. Diabetic rats were then treated for 14 days with 10, 20 and 50 mg/kg bw of P. nitida seed extract and 5 mg/kg bw of Glibenclamide®. At the end of treatment, the rats’ blood was collected again for determination of insulin and blood glucose P. nitida levels. The results obtained show that initial insulinemia, which was 16 ± 0.12 μU/mL, fell in diabetic rats (7 ± 0.004 μU/mL) before significantly increasing to 15 ± 0.3 μU/mL and 17 μU/mL ± 0.02 after treatment with P. nitida extract and Glibenclamide®. In addition, initial blood glucose levels, estimated at 0.76 ± 0.022 g/L, increased in rats following alloxane injection and then significantly fell to 0.65 ± 0.06 g/L and 0.55 ± 0.03 g/L in animals treated with extract and Glibenclamide®. These results indicate that the methanolic extract of Picralima nitida seeds, like Glibenclamide®, is capable of regulating blood insulin and glucose levels in diabetic rats.