Acute toxicity Analysis and Antidiabetic Effect of the Moroccan Spider Flower (Cleome Arabica L.) in Normal and Sreptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Aims: The study aimed to assess the antihyperglycemic effect of Cleome arabica.

Background: Cleome arabica L. or spider flower belongs to Capparidaceae family and it is used for treating inflammation and diabetes mellitus in traditional medicine.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the antihyperglycemic activity and acute toxicity of the aqueous extract of Cleome arabica L (CAAE).

Methods: The acute toxicity of CAAE was evaluated at the doses of 500, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg. Parallelly, body weight, signs of toxicity, and/or mortality were observed for 14 days. The effect of oral administration of Cleome arabica aqueous extract (CAAE) at a dose of 100 mg/kg on glycemia was performed in normal and diabetic rats. Additionally, histopathological structure of liver, phytochemical screening and in vitro antioxidant activity were studied.

Results: The acute toxicity test revealed that all treated rats survived, and no change in body weight was observed. The results demonstrated that CAAE exhibited significant antihyperglycemic effect in diabetic rats. Furthermore, the plant extract ameliorated the liver histology in diabetic rats with a concomitant antioxidant activity.

Conclusion: this study shows that Cleome arabica is partly safe, and its LD50 seems to be greater than 5000 mg/kg. Cleome Arabica has a favorable effect against diabetes which could be due to presence of numerous secondary metabolites and by protection of hepatocytes.

Keywords: Cleome arabica L.; acute toxicity; antidiabetic effect; aqueous extract; diabetes; medicinal plant; streptozotocin.