ANTIHYPERGLYCAEMIC AND ANTIBACTERIAL EVALUATION OF METHANOL TUBER EXTRACT OF CHLOROPHYTUM ALISMIFOLIUM BAKER (LILIACEAE)

ANTIHYPERGLYCAEMIC AND ANTIBACTERIAL EVALUATION OF METHANOL TUBER EXTRACT OF CHLOROPHYTUM ALISMIFOLIUM BAKER (LILIACEAE)

Abstract:

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder which affects about 346 million people globally. Synthetic antidiabetic agents are expensive and also associated with side effects. In a bid to develop cheaper and safer antidiabetic agents, this study was carried out to determine the effect of the methanol tuber extract of Chlorophytumalismifolium.It is used in folkloric medicine for the treatment of diabetes and bacterial infections. The dried powdered tubers was extracted using soxhletextraction method while acute toxicity study was carried out in rats using Lorke‟s method. Antidiabetic study was carried out using streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemia in Wistar rats and in-vitro antibacterial susceptibility testing was carried out using Agar-well diffusion method. Adult male Wistar rats weighing 150-200 g were injected with a single dose of 50 mg/kg streptozotocinintraperitoneally and the rats with fasting blood glucose between 200 and 450 mg/dL were considered hyperglycemic and selected for the study. Experimental groups were set up using control rats in group Iand hyperglycemic rats in five groups of six rats each. Group II was the diabetic control that received normal saline (1 ml/kg) while groups III, IV and V received graded doses of the extract (150, 300 and 600 mg/kg) respectively. Group VI received glimepiride (10 mg/kg). All treatments were given daily by oral route which lasted for 28 days. Blood glucose levels and weights were noted on days 0,7, 14,21 and 28 after which therats were sacrificed and blood samples collected for hematology, changes in lipid profile, liver and kidney function tests, relative organ body weights and histopathology (kidneys, liver, pancreas and heart). The LD50 in Wistar rats was determined to be >5,000 mg/kg using the oral route. The extract of C. alismifolium at all the doses tested showed blood glucose lowering effect.Statistical significant (p<0.01) blood glucose lowering effectoccurred at a dose of 150 mg/kg on day 21, at a dose of 300 mg/kg on days 21 and 28 (p<0.001 and p< 0.01 respectively) and 600 vii mg/kg on days 7, 14, 21 and 28 (p<0.05, p< 0.01, p<0.001 and p<0.01respectively) was produced by the extract. The extract didnot alter significantly (p > 0.05) liver enzymes, kidney and hematological parameters and relative organbody weights. The histopathological studies showed no changes in the cardiac cells of the Wistar rats.However, degenerative effects were seen in the liver and kidneys. There was regeneration of islet cells at the doses of 300 and 600 mg/kg of the extract. The antibacterial screening showed that the extract at all the concentrations tested possesses a concentration dependent inhibition ofEscherichia coli.Staphylococcusaureus, Beta-hemolytic streptococcusand Pseudomonasaeruginosa.Phytochemical screening of the methanol tuber extract of C.alismifolium revealed the presence of carbohydrates, glycosides, cardiac glycosides, saponins, flavonoids, triterpenes and alkaloids, some of which may be responsible for the observed antihyperglycemic and antibacterialproperties. In conclusion, the methanol tuber extract of C. alismifolium has antihyperglycemic activity in streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic rats and inhibitory effect against Staphylococcusaureus, Beta-hemolytic streptococcus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonasaeruginosa.

ANTIHYPERGLYCAEMIC AND ANTIBACTERIAL EVALUATION OF METHANOL TUBER EXTRACT OF CHLOROPHYTUM ALISMIFOLIUM BAKER (LILIACEAE)