COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SOLVENT EXTRACTS OF PICRALIMA NITIDA SEED ON LIPID PROFILE OF ALLOXAN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS.
Diabetes mellitus is a global metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia and associated complications, including dyslipidemia, which significantly increases cardiovascular disease risk. Picralima nitida, a West African medicinal plant of the Apocynaceae family, has been traditionally employed in the management of diabetes and various other ailments. This study evaluated the lipid profile modulatory effescts of different solvent extracts (chloroform, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate and methanol) of P. nitida seed in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in adult rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan monohydrate (100 mg/kg body weight). Diabetic rats were randomly assigned to treatment groups and administered different solvent seed extracts of P. nitida at 750mg/kg hourly orally for 4 hours post-administration, with glibenclamide (5 mg/kg) as the standard reference drug. Blood was later collected from the rats and Serum lipid parameters—including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and total protein (TP) were assessed using standard enzymatic colorimetric methods. Results showed that Chloroform seed extract significantly (P<0.05) increased HDL and decreased LDL when compared to positive control. Diethyl ether seed extract significantly increased total cholesterol and triglycerides. Ethyl acetate seed extract increased total cholesterol and HDL and decreased LDL and triglyceride. Methanol extract significantly decreased total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL, triglycerides when compared with standard control glibenclamide. In conclusion, methanol seed extract of P. nitida showed the most favourable lipid-lowering profile in alloxan-induced diabetic rats, supporting its ethnomedicinal application in diabetes management. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these antihyperlipidemic effects and to identify the specific bioactive compounds responsible.
Keywords: Picralima nitida, Alloxan-induced diabetes, Lipid profile, Dyslipidemia,
