Antidiabetic Activities of the Aqueous Root Bark and Flower Extracts of Terminalia catappa on Streptozotocin - Induced Diabetes in Male Wister Rats

Diabetes mellitus is a disease associated with the increase in Blood glucose level caused by the abnormalities of glucose receptors in the uptake of glucose or total destruction of the β pancreatic cell, with approximately 366 millions of people worldwide diagnosed with the disease in 2011. The aim of this study is to determine the antidiabetic activities of the aqueous Root bark and Flower extracts of Terminalia catappa on streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. The experiment consist of 25 male albino wister rats weighting about 250 – 300 g/bw divided into five groups of five rats each. Diabetic was induced by a single intraperitorial injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg). The aqueous Root bark and Flower extracts of Terminalia catappa (200 mg/kg) were administered orally for 14 days, after which the blood glucose, Albumin, Total protein, electrolytes, antioxidants, haematological parameters were investigated. The results shows that diabetic control group have a significant (p<0.05) increase in the levels of glucose and bilirubin while a significant (p<0.05) decrease in body weight, albumin, total protein, electrolytes, haematological parameters and antioxidants when compared to normal control group. Oral administration of 200 mg/kg of aqueous Root bark and Flower extracts of Terminalia catappa for 14days to group C and D diabetes rats resulted in significant (p<0.05) decrease in blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, serum liver marker enzyme, kidney markers and bilirubin while a significant (p<0.05) increase in albumin, total protein, electrolyte, some haematological parameters and antioxidants. Results of the study indicates that aqueous Root bark and Flower extracts of Terminalia catappa possesses hypoglycemic and protective effects against ROS caused by streptozotocin induced diabetics rats. In Conclusion, the aqueous Root bark and Flower extracts of Terminalia catappa can be used in the management of diabetes mellitus at the said dose.