Abstract
Background: The growing influence of medicinal plants among individuals living with diabetes in developing nations is a major concern for safety, efficacy, and tolerability. This study investigated the median lethal dose (LD50), antihyperglycemic effects, and potential mechanisms of action of the essential oil (EO) from the dried seeds of Dennettia tripetala (D. tripetala) in streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice.
Methods: The EO was obtained by hydrodistillation of pulverized dried seeds, and its LD50 was determined using Lorke’s method, yielding an LD50 value of 2150 mg/kg (oral administration). Diabetes was induced in mice using low-dose STZ (40 mg/kg), and after 72 hours, animals with blood glucose levels ≥10 mmol/L were considered diabetic. The diabetic mice were divided into five groups: a negative diabetic control group, a positive control group treated with glibenclamide (5 mg/kg), and three groups treated with 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg EO, respectively, for 20 days. The negative nondiabetic control group received the vehicle. Body weight and blood glucose levels were monitored throughout the treatment, and insulin levels and insulin resistance (as measured by HOMA-IR) were assessed at the study’s conclusion. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA with Dunnett’s post hoc test (p<0.05).
Results: The results revealed that administration of the EO at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg led to dose-dependent increases in body weight and reductions in blood glucose levels. The most significant improvement in glycaemic control was observed at 100 mg/kg.
Although the insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) of diabetic mice was higher than that of nondiabetic controls, EO treatment resulted in a significant reduction in insulin resistance across all doses, with the most notable effect at 50 mg/kg. This dose resulted in the lowest mean HOMA-IR value of 5.15 pg/mL, indicating a marked reduction in insulin resistance compared to the negative diabetic control group, though this difference did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusion: The essential oil of dried seeds of D. tripetala exhibited mild toxicity and modest antihyperglycemic effects in diabetic mice, primarily through the reduction of insulin resistance, highlighting its potential as an antidiabetic agent.
Keywords: Antihyperglycemic; Dennetia tripetala; diabetes; essential oil; insulin resistance.
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