Effect of Methanolic Leaf Extract of Carissa Edulis on Alloxan Induced Diabetic Albino Rats

ABSTRACT Diabetes mellitus is the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. It is a growing global problem and places a heavy financial burden on healthcare services due to the cost of orthodox medicine and associated toxicities. Thus, the demand for cheaper and safer alternatives is on the increase. Carissa edulis is widely used traditionally to cure diabetes and it was found to be relatively safe. This research is aimed to evaluate the effect of methanolic leaf extract of Carissa edulis on the glucose level and the body weight of alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Carissa edulis leaves were harvested fresh in a garden at Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Cold maceration was used for the extraction using methanol as solvent. Diabetes mellitus was induced by the administration of alloxan hydrate (150 mg/kg body weight). The extract was administered orally at 75 mg/kg, 150 mg/kg, and 300 mg/kg body weight while a standard drug, metformin was administered at 100 mg/kg body weight. All treatments lasted for 14 days. There was a significant decrease in blood glucose concentration in the groups treated with 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg methanolic leaf extract of Carissa edulis compared to the negative control group. The group treated with 300 mg/kg b.w had lower glucose levels compared to the normal control group. A significant increase in body weight was observed in the extract control group compared to the remaining groups. It can be inferred that the methanol leaf extract of Carissa edulis has antihyperglycemic effect and it reduces the level of blood glucose in a dose dependent manner and can potentially be explored in the search for new anti-diabetic agents