Anti-diabetic effects of Ficus Asperifolia in Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Purpose: The current study aimed to determine the antidiabetic effects of leaf extract of Ficus asperifolia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Methods: A total of ninety-five (95) adult rats were used for the experiment. The whole study protocol was divided into three sets of individual experiments. The animals were divided randomly into seven groups of five rats each. The rats were given a diet supplemented with 50 g high fat to 50 g vital feeds for two weeks. The study lasted 28 days with daily administration and weekly blood glucose and body weight check. At the end of the experiment protocol, the rats were fasted overnight and were anesthetized. Blood was collected via cardiac puncture from each animal for biochemical analysis. Metglim 3.38 mg/kg bodyweight was used as positive control. Diabetes was induced using streptozotocin (35 mg/kg in 0.1 M phosphate-buffered saline) intraperitoneally for 5 days. Phytochemicals were analyzed in both extract and fractions.

Results: Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, carotenoids, terpenes, and steroids in both extract and fractions. Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats were detected by systematic molecular analysis. Fraction 1 of plant extracts prevented glucose-induced hyperglycaemia 30 min' post glucose load in all rats. Streptozotocin treatment caused a significant increase (p˂0.05) in blood sugar, total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, low-density lipoproteins and a significant (p˂0.05) decrease in food intake, body weight and high-density lipoproteins in diabetic rats.

Conclusion: Treatment with the extract significantly improved the derangements caused by streptozotocin. These results suggest that the leaf extracts of Ficus asperifolia could serve as a potential treatment for diabetes therapy.

Keywords: Anti-oxidant; Diabetes; Drug candidate; Oxidative stress; Phytochemical; Plant extract.