Cola nitida (Kola Nuts) Attenuates Hepatic Injury in Type 2 Diabetes by Improving Antioxidant and Cholinergic Dysfunctions, and Dysregulated Lipid Metabolism

Background: The therapeutic effect of Cola nitida hot infusion against diabetes hepatic injury was investigated in livers of diabetic rats. Cola nitida was infused in boiling water and concentrated.

Methods: The concentrated infusion was administered to T2D rats at low and high dose (150 and 300 mg/kg body weight (bw) respectively). The normal group (positive control) and another diabetic group (negative control) were administered distilled water, while metformin served as the standard drug. A toxic group consisting of normal rats was administered high dose of C. nitida. After 6 weeks, the rats were sacrificed, and their livers collected. They were assayed for oxidative stress markers, myeloperoxidase, acetylcholinesterase and ATPase activities. Hepatic lipid metabolites were profiled with GC-MS and their metabolic pathways analyzed using the MetaboAnalyst 4.0 online server.

Results: Treatment with C. nitida caused a significant elevation of glutathione level and SOD activity, while concomitantly inhibiting lipid peroxidation, myeloperoxidase, acetylcholinesterase and ATPase activities in hepatic tissues of the rats. Treatment with C. nitida also caused significant depletion of diabetes-generated lipid metabolites, with concomitant generation of fatty esters and steroids as well as inactivation of diabetes-activated pathways.

Conclusion: These data demonstrate the therapeutic effect of C. nitida against diabetic hepatotoxicity in diabetic rats.

Keywords: Cola nitida; diabetes mellitus; hepatotoxicity; lipid dysmetabolism.; liver; metabolomics.