Abstract

Chrysophyllum cainito is a plant recognized by the traditional healers of Aboudé-Mandéké, a village in the Department of Agboville (Côte-d’Ivoire), as having antidiabetic properties. The aim of this study is to evaluate, experimentally, the effect of an aqueous decoction of the plant’s leaves that we called C. cainito, on rabbits induced with alloxane, a diabetogenic product. Different graded doses of this herbal medicine were applied on postprandial blood sugar levels of diabetic rabbits.At doses of 10 g/l, C. cainito does not induce the hypoglycaemic effect. A dose of20 g/l reduced the hyperglycaemia from 5 g/l to 1.4 g/l.  A dose of 30 g/l of C. cainito produced a graded decrease in hyperglycaemia from 6.3 g/l to 3.2 g/l. After 6 weeks of treatment, the induced diabetic rabbits stopped eating and succumbedbetween the 8^th and the 9^th weeks of experimentation.  It was thus concluded thatC. cainito leaves have glucose lowering effect at doses > 10 g/l and appears toxic and lethal at 30 g/l. C. cainito produces its hypoglycaemic effect mainly throughalkaloids, sterols or triterpens, the antidiabetic active constituents.

Key words: Aboudé-Mandéké, alloxan, Côte-d’Ivoire, herbal medicine, traditional healer.