Antidiabetic Studies of Cnestis ferruginea Ethanolic Root Extract in Wistar Rats

Abstract

The need to develop new and affordable antidiabetic drugs with minimal side effects is a growing area of research interest. The medicinal plant Cnestis ferruginea DC has diverse pharmacological applications. Its leaves and roots are used for the treatment of diabetes by traditional healers. As a result, the antidiabetic activity of ethanolic extract of C. ferruginea (EECF) roots was evaluated in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The influence of EECF (200 and 400 mg/kg bw) was studied for three weeks, with glibenclamide as a positive control. The phytochemical screening of EEFC was also performed. Like glibenclamide, treatment with EECF caused a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in fasting blood glucose (FBG) in diabetic rats. A significant (p < 0.05) alteration in serum lipid profile parameters, kidney and liver function parameters, as well as oxidative stress markers in kidney and liver tissues, was observed in diabetic control rats relative to the normal control ones. But the treatment of diabetic rats with EEFC resulted in significant (p < 0.05) restoration of these parameters to a near-normal level. The phytochemical analysis of EEFC showed the presence of alkaloids, anthraquinones, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, phlobatannins, saponins and tannins. Thus, the results offer proof to support the traditional use of C. ferruginea roots in the treatment of diabetes. The antidiabetic activity of EEFC may be due to its phytoconstituents.