This study investigated the effect of lycopene-rich extract of Solanum lycopersicon on alloxan monohydrate induced diabetic Wistar rat. Twenty five (25) Wistar rats of both sexes of which twenty of which were diabetic, and five were non-diabetic. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of Alloxan monohydrate at 40 mg/kg body weight and it was confirmed by the elevated blood glucose ?200 mg/dl after five days. The rats were divided randomly into groups A to E of five (5) rats each. Group A served as the Normal control, Group B (Diabetes untreated). Groups C and D were respectively administered 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of lycopene, while Group E rats were administered 10 mg/kg body weight of Glibenclamide. All administrations were done orally and once daily for Three weeks. At the end of the treatment, mean fasting blood sugar and body weight were determined. Administration of graded doses of lycopene to diabetic animals significantly (P<0.05) decreased the blood glucose concentration after three weeks of treatment when compared to diabetic untreated animals. Weight loss was also attenuated in diabetic animals treated with all doses of lycopene-rich extract when compared with diabetic untreated group. Overall, lycopene attenuated the biomedical alterations in Alloxan-induced diabetic Wistar rats. Lycopene therefore possesses antidiabetic activity at the doses tested in this study and can be incorporated as a nutraceutical in the management of type -2 diabetes mellitus.

Keywords: Glibenclamide. Alloxan monohydrate, Lycopene-rich extract, diabetes mellitus