ABSTRACT

 The ameliorative effect of Justicia carnea on blood glucose level and lipid profile status in alloxan-induced diabetic albino rats was evaluated. The animals were grouped into seven groups of five rats each. Diabetes was induced in the rats intraperitoneally with 120mg/kg body weight (BW) of alloxan. Group 1 served as the normal control and was not induced with diabetes, group 2 served as the negative control and was induced with diabetes without treatment throughout the experiment, group 3 served as the extract control which was not induced with diabetes but was administered with 1000mg/kg 13W of the extract, group 4, 5 and 6 were induced with diabetes and administered with Justicia carnea leaf extract at different doses of 200, 500 and 1000mg/kg BW respectively and group 7 was induced with diabetes and treated with diabenese at a dose of 50mg/kg BW. The rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation after 14 days of extract administration and their blood were collected by cardiac puncture for biochemical analysis. The result of the pilot study conducted on different concentrations of alloxan (120, 140, 160 and 180 mg/kg BW) showed mortality in groups induced with 140, 160 and 180 mg/kg BW of alloxan while group induced with 120mg/kg BW did not show any mortality. A Significant (p < 0.05) increase was observed in blood glucose level of the untreated group (group 2) when compared with the normal control whereas groups treated with 200, 500 and 1000mg/kg BW of Justicia carnea and 50mg/kg BW of diabenese (group 4, 5, 6 and 7) showed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in blood glucose levels when compared with the untreated group (group 2). A significant (p < 0.05) increase was observed in the serum total cholesterol, triacyiglycerol, low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein levels in the untreated group (group 2) when compared with the normal contrdl while groups treated with 200, 500 and 1000mg/kg BW • of Justicia carnea and 50mg/kg BW of diabenese (group 4, 5, 6 and 7) showed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the serum total cholesterol, triacyiglycerol, low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein levels when compared with the untreated group (group 2). 1-lowever, the level of serum high density lipoprotein showed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the untreated group (group 2) when compared with the normal control while a significant (p < 0.05) increase was observed in the level of serum high density lipoprotein in groups treated with 200, 500 and 1000mg/kg BW of Justicia carnea and 50mg/kg BW of diabenese (group 4, 5, 6 and 7) when compared with the untreated group (goup 2). The results of the study showed that methanolic leaf extract of Justicia carnea exhibit antidiabetic activities against alloxan-induced diabetes in albino rats, in a dose dependent manner. This suggests that the leaves of Justicia carnea could be used to manage diabetes mellitus and prevents most of the health complications associated with the condition.