Evaluation of the ameliorative effects of the methanolic and total crude extracts of Persea americana seeds on biochemical and haematological parameters in wistar albino rats induced with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic hyperglycaemic condition caused by low insulin production with 2 major types i.e., Type 1 and Type 2 DM (NIDDM). Type 2 DM accounts for 90% of DM cases and its global prevalence is expected to increase. It thus poses a huge burden and calls for alternatives i.e., plant extracts to the costly conventional remedies. This study explored the effects of Persea americana seed extracts on biochemical and haematological indices because these get altered in NIDDM. Seed extracts of P. americana showed hypoglycemic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, beneficial in NIDDM. However, these studies focused majorly on FBG and lipids. This study also explored haematological changes of methanolic (ME) and total crude (TCE) extracts of P. americana seeds in NIDDM rats. Type 2 DM was induced in 30 rats weighing 100- 150g using streptozotocin and then randomized into 6 groups. The diabetic control and glibenclamide groups received distilled water and 10mg/kg bwt of glibenclamide respectively, whereas other groups received either 200mg or 400mg doses of both extracts per kg bwt, orally. Only TCE (400) had a comparable FBG lowering effect to glibenclamide (p=0.309) but all extract groups except ME 200 had ameliorative effects (p=0.09, 1.00 and 0.01 for ME 400, TCE 200 and TCE 400 respectively). Effects of all extracts on total cholesterol (TC) and LDL unlike on triglycerides and HDL were significantly (p<0.05) better than glibenclamide’s effect. Only the TCEs had ameliorative effects on TC levels (p=0.18 and p = 0.48 forTCE 200 and TCE 400 respectively). All extracts except ME 200, had significantly (p<0.05) better activity on mean MCH and MCV levels in comparison to glibenclamide. Only TCE (400) caused more significant improvement in the mean RBC than glibenclamide (p=0.004) and only TCE (400) and ME (400) had more significant improvement in Hct levels than glibenclamide (p=0.04).