HYPOGLYCEMIC EFFECTS OF ETHANOLIC FRUIT & LEAVE EXTRACTS OF Solanum incanum (GARDEN EGG) IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC WISTAR RATS

This research seeks to assess the hypoglycemic effect of the ethanolic leave and fruit extracts of Solanum incanum instreptozotocin-induced diabetic wistar rats. 200g of each of the extracted powder of fruit and leaf of Solanum incanum will be dissolved in 1600 ml of ethanol in a glass bottlerespectively for a period of 48 hours with intermittent vigorous shaking. The solution will be filteredwith, ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) 60 mesh size while the filtrate will becollected and evaporated at 45°C using water bath. The dried concentrate (extract) will then be storedin a sealed transparent bottle for subsequent use. Diabetes will be induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (120 mg/kg body weight)after 18 hours fast while 5% glucose solution will be administered orally so as to prevent the druginduced hypoglycemic effect of streptozotocin. After 72 hours of streptozotocin injection, bloodsamples will be collected by tail snip method to determine the blood glucose concentrations to confirmthe development of Diabetes Mellitus. Albino rats with fasting blood glucose concentration of greaterthan 126 mg/dl will be considered hyperglycemic and will be selected for the study.The animals will be randomly divided into nine groups each containing five wistar rats while each wistar rat will be marked using black stain. The Non-Diabetic group:Group A: (NORMAL CONTROL/Non-Diabetic Wistar Rats): Will be administered 0.5 ml normalsaline only. On the 7th and 14th days of treatment, the blood glucose levels of the wistar rats will bedetermined using accu-check glucometer, the animals will then be weighed to determine the effect ofthe plant extract on their body weights. The results obtained will then be expressed in g of body weightand mg/d1 of blood respectively. While the Diabetic groups:Group B: (NEGATIVE CONTROL/Untreated Diabetic Wistar Rats): will Serve as diabeticcontrol; receiving 0.5 ml normal saline/day/rat.Group C: (POSITIVE CONTROL/Diabetic Wistar Rats): Will be administered Glibenclamide (10mg/kg b.wt./day) in 0.5 ml normal saline as a fine aqueous suspension orally.Group D 1: (TEST CONTROL Ia /Diabetic Wistar Rats): Will be administered a daily low dose ofethanolic fruit extract of Solanum incanum as a fine aqueous suspension orally in 0.5 ml normal saline. Group D 2: (TEST CONTROL Ib /Diabetic Wistar Rats): Will be administered a daily high dose ofethanolic fruit extract of Solanum incanum as a fine aqueous suspension orally in 0.5 ml normal saline Group E 1: (TEST CONTROL IIa /Dabetic Wistar Rats): Will be administered a daily low dose ofethanolic leaf extract of Solanum incanum as a fine aqueoussuspension orally in 0.5 ml normal salineGroup E 2: (TEST CONTROL IIb /Dabetic Wistar Rats): Will be administered a daily high dose ofethanolic leaf extract of Solanum incanum as a fine aqueoussuspension orally in 0.5 ml normal salineGroup F 1: (TEST CONTROL IIIa /Diabetic Wistar Rats): Will be administered a low dose ofcombined ethanolic leaf and fruit extracts of Solanum incanum as a fine aqueous suspension orally in0.5 ml normal salineGroup F 2: (TEST CONTROL IIIb /Diabetic Wistar Rats): Will be administered a high dose ofcombined ethanolic leaf and fruit extracts of Solanum incanum as a fine aqueous suspension orally in0.5 ml normal salineCollection and treatment of sample:The extracts will be reconstituted in normal saline water and administered orally on daily basis. Theextract group will be treated with high and low doses of the leaf and fruit ethanolic extacts respectively,while the diabetic control and the normal control will be given 0.5 ml of saline water for a period of 14days. At the end of 14 days, the fasting blood glucose levels of all the animals will be taken, afterwhich the animals will be weighed and anaesthetized using chloroform and bled by cardiac puncture24 h after the last treatment. The blood sample will then be collected in plain bottles, allowed to clotand the serum separated by centrifugation for 10 min, which will then be collected and stored at 37℃and finally subjected to biochemical analysis.Biochemical analysis: The serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, High Density Lipoproteinsand Low Density Lipoprotein will be determined by a lipid profile auto analyzer.Statistical analysis: Data will be expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Comparative analysesbetween and amongst variables will be done using analysis of variance (ANOVA). A post hoccomparison (LSD) test will be performed to further ascertain significant differences between means.Statistical significance will be set at P<0.05. All statistical analysis will be done using SPSS.