Anti-diabetic effects of the acetone fraction of Senna singueana stem bark in a type 2 diabetes rat model.

BACKGROUND

Senna singueana is currently used in the traditional treatment of diabetes mellitus in Nigeria. The present study examined the anti-diabetic activity of the Senna singueana acetone fraction (SSAF) of stem bark in a type 2 diabetes (T2D) rat model.

METHODS

Crude ethyl acetate extract of the Senna singueana stem bark was fractionated with various solvents and the acetone fraction was selected for in vivo studies based on the high α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities. In the in vivo study, male Sprague-Dawley rats were induced with T2D and treated with the SSAF at 150 and 300 mg/kg body weight. Several T2D-related parameters were measured in the study.

RESULTS

After 4 weeks of intervention, non-fasting blood glucose concentrations were significantly decreased and the glucose tolerance ability was significantly improved in the SSAF treated groups compared to the diabetic control group. Serum insulin concentrations, pancreatic β-cell function (HOMA-β) and liver glycogen were significantly (P<0.05) increased while serum alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and urea were significantly decreased in the SSAF treated diabetic rats compared to the diabetic control group. Though insignificantly (P>0.05), other T2D-induced abnormalities such as food and fluid intake, body weight, serum lipids, serum fructosamine level and peripheral insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were also partially ameliorated by the SSAF treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Data of this study suggest that orally administered SSAF could ameliorate most of the T2D-induced abnormalities in a T2D model of rats.