Determination of the Anti-diabetic Activity of Sphenostylis stenocarpa Seed Milk Extract in Alloxan-induced Diabetes Rats

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease that is associated with abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fat. It is usually associated with excretion of excess sweet urine known as glycosuria. Most anti-diabetes drugs are not just costly, but always go with high levels of drug toxicity. This study determined the anti- diabetic activity of seed milk extract in Alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The seed milk extract at a concentration of 100,200, 300 and 400 mg/kg body weight were orally administered to alloxan- induced diabetic rats for a period of fifteen (15) days. The oral glucose tolerance test was also carried out using animal experimental method. The phytochemical analysis of the milk extract revealed the presence of flavonoids, isoflavones, saponin, tannin, phytosterol, lignin and anthocyanidine at moderate concentrations. The acute toxicity test showed no lethality of Sphenostylis stenocarpa seed milk up to a concentration of 5000 kg/body weight. In oral glucose tolerance test, the S. stenocarpa seed milk extract exerted the highest response, similar to glibenclamide after 15 minutes and 30 minutes of administration compared with the control. The S. stenocarpa seed milk extract recorded the highest blood glucose- lowering effect after day 15 of treatment (p < 0.05) compared with the diabetic rats that were administered normal saline and 0.3 mg/kg body weight of glibenclamide. The seed milk extract of S. stenocarpa possessed anti-diabetic activity like the reference drug glibenclamide, and the results of this study revealed that the graded doses of the seed milk extract have blood glucose-lowering effect in a time and concentration-dependent manner.