Abstract

The present study was carried out to evaluate the anti-diabetic effect of aqueous extract of Basella alba leaves in alloxan-induced diabetic albino rats. Thirty (30) male albino rats weighing 100 to 150 g were used for this work. The rats were randomly distributed into five groups containing six (6) rats per group. Group I rats served as the healthy control group and were neither induced with diabetes nor given any treatment. Group II rats served as the diabetic control. They were induced with diabetes but not given any treatment throughout the experiment. Rats in group III and IV were induced with diabetes and administered B. alba leaf extract at different doses, 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Group V rats were also induced with diabetes and treated with Metformin at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight. The various treatments were administered orally for a period of three weeks. The mean fasting blood glucose (FBG) of the rats was determined weekly using a glucometer. The rats treated with B. alba at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg had their mean FBG levels significantly lower than the diabetic control group (p<0.05). Similarly, there was significant difference between rats in the group treated with Metformin and the diabetic control group (p<0.05). The mean FBG levels of rats treated with 200 mg/kg of B. alba leaf extract was not statistically different from that recorded in rats treated with Metformin. The results show that B. alba leaf extract has antidiabetic effect in alloxan-induced diabetic rats, varying with the quantity ingested. Hence, consumption of B. alba leaf as a vegetable should be encouraged for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Key words: Basella alba, diabetes mellitus, fasting blood glucose, metformin, hypoglycemia.