Abstract
Background: Globally, type 2 diabetes mellitus, or diabetes, comprises over 96% of all diabetic cases. Therefore, we investigated the antidiabetic effects of Cassia abbreviata fractions of chloroform, ethyl acetate, and petroleum ether in type 2 diabetic male adult Wistar rats.
Methods: Type 2 diabetes was induced via a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg body weight) following a high-fat, high-sucrose diet. Diabetic rats were treated with different fractions, semaglutide, or distilled water for four weeks. Blood glucose levels were monitored, and pancreatic islet tissues were examined. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s post hoc test in SPSS.
Results: Phytochemical screening indicated the presence of cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, sterols, and terpenoids, with more observed in ethyl acetate than other fractions. At the conclusion of the study, semaglutide (0.23 mg/kg body weight) and ethyl acetate fraction (381 mg/kg body weight) exhibited statistically significantly improved oral glucose tolerance (P < .001) and reduced fasting blood glucose levels (P < .001) compared to the diabetic control. On the other hand, the normal control group had a statistically significant (P < .05) increase in the Lee index from diabetes induction to the end of treatment when compared with the diabetic control. Particularly, the treated groups revealed restored pancreatic islet structures, whereas the untreated diabetic group exhibited shrunken islets and cellular degeneration.
Conclusion: The observed effects are likely attributed to the phytochemicals present in the fractions, suggesting that Cassia abbreviata could be valuable in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Keywords: Cassia abbreviata; ethyl acetate; oral glucose tolerance test; fasting blood glucose; Lee index; pancreatic islet β-cells
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