INHIBITION OF DIGESTIVE ENZYMES AND RAT SENSITIVITY TO Triumfetta rhomboidea LEAF EXTRACTS: GLUCOSE LEVEL, HORMONAL CHANGES, OXIDATIVE STRESS INDICES AND THERAPEUTIC INDEX STUDY

Abstract

Chronic hyperglycemia is one of the major contributory factors that result to acute and chronic complications in diabetes mellitus. These complications are commonly associated with changes in hormonal function and inability of the body to counteract oxidative responses arising from glucotoxicity. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of aqueous (ATRE) and ethanol (ETRE) extracts of T. rhomboidea leaf on carbohydrate digestive enzymes, level of glucose concentration, hormones and antioxidants in healthy experimental rats. Enzymes inhibition study was carried out using alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase inhibition assays. Experimental animals were orally administered varying doses of ATRE and ETRE for 28 days and thereafter sacrificed for sample collections. Obtained blood samples were processed and used for blood glucose concentration and hormonal assays while the tissues supernatant was used to determine oxidative stress indices. Finding from this study revealed significant (p<0.05) reduction in blood glucose concentration after 28 days of treatment with effective dose of 800 mg/kg after a dose response study. There were no significant changes in insulin and TSH of animals that were administered varying doses of ATRE and ETRE when compared to the control. Antioxidant systems in liver, kidney and pancreas of treated animals were not adversely affected by the extracts of T. rhomboidealeaf. This study has demonstrated that both aqueous and ethanol extracts of T. rhomboidea leaf possessed the capacity to lower blood glucose concentration without causing severe changes in normal hormonal function and the antioxidant systems.