Picralima nitida protects against hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

Picralima nitida is widely used in herbal medicine due to its numerous health benefits. We investigated the effects of extracts of P. nitida in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Thirty Wistar rats were randomized into 6 groups of 5 rats each and treated as follows; Group I — normal control rats, Group II — diabetic rats treated with glibenclamide, Group III — diabetic rats not treated, Group IV — diabetic rats treated with methanol extract of P. nitida leaf, Group V — diabetic rats treated with methanol extract of P. nitida seed, Group VI — diabetic rats treated with methanol extract of P. nitida root. Phytochemical analysis of the methanol extracts of P. nitida revealed significantly (p<0.05) higher tannin (83.183 mgTAN/g) content in the seed extract, phenolic (289.377 mgGAE/g) and flavonoid (343.681 mgQUE/g) content in the leaf extract. Administration of P. nitida extracts resulted in steady significant (p<0.05) decreases in the fasting blood glucose levels, AST, ALT and ALP of the alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Administration of the extracts resulted in significant (p<0.05) increases in the activity of CAT and GSH in the serum, liver, heart and kidney of the experimental rats. Treatment with the extracts resulted in significant (p<0.05) decreases in the LPO activity in the serum, liver, heart and kidney of the rats. The leaf, seed and root extracts of P. nitida showed significant antidiabetic properties and protect against hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress, which are comparable to that of the standard drug, glibenclamide.