ABSTRACT

This study was undertaken to determine the hypoglycemic and antioxidant effect of Cotus afer.The ethanolic leaf extract was investigated on alloxan induced diabetic rats. The blood glucose level were measured at 24 hrs after the first treatment with the extract at (500mg/kg and 1000mg/kg) reduced the blood glucose of the diabetic rats from 257.00 ± 18.46 to 74.60 ±17.24mg/dc and 163.80 ± 45.19 to 77.20 • ± 10.7mg/dl after 14 days of treatment. One group of the diabetic rats were administered 0,9% normal saline and served as negative control. Another group of diabetic rats were administered 100mg/kg of a known diabetic drug chiorobinese which serves as the positive control,and it was observed that the ethanolic extract of costus afer acted in similar fashion to the known drug. The Free radical scavenging activity was evaluated by using nitric oxide assay, anti-lipid peroxidation, and 2, 2 - diphenyl-l-pierychydrazyl (DPPH) models. The antioxidant activity of the extract was compared with ascorbic acid up to I 000 jig/mI. Highest inhibition of the nitric oxide, lipid peroxidation assay was seen in the extract of highesl.concentration 64.3% and 59.4% respectively. The leaf extract exhibited minor inhibition at 800g/m1 in 2,2 —diphenyl- I -picryihydrazyl (DPPH) compared to the ascorbic acid atl000pg/rnl. It could be concluded that the consumption of the extract would exert several beneficial effect by virtue of their antioxidant and hypoglycemic properties.