Antidiabetic Effects of Crassocephalum crepidioides (Benth) (Asteraceae) Aqueous Extract in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rat

Background and Aim: Diabetes mellitus is an increasing disease empirically controlled with medicinal plants, whose many virtues are still unknown even by people who eat them as food. The study aimed to evaluate the antihyperglycemic and antidiabetic effects of Crassocephalum crepidioides aerial parts aqueous extract in normal and diabetic rats.

Place and Duration of Study: Laboratory of Animal Biology and Physiology (University of Douala), July - November 2016.

Experimental Procedure: Normal, glucose-overloaded normal, and Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic Wistar rats received the Crassocephalum crepidioides aqueous extract at various doses (13.5–300 mg/kg) in a single administration, and their fasting blood glucose was followed for over 5h. In prolonged treatment, Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats received daily administration of the plant extract for 21 days and, blood glucose level, body weight, food, and water intake were followed weekly, while serum biochemical parameters were evaluated after 21 days of treatment. ¶ Type 1 diabetes was induced by an intravenous administration of a single dose of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg). Glibenclamide (10 mg/kg) was used as standard treatment for comparison with the plant extract.

Results and Conclusion: The acute administration of Crassocephalum crepidioides extract did not reduce blood glucose levels of normal and diabetic rats, but significantly reduced (P<0.05 – P<0.01) the thirtieth-minute increase of glycemia in glucose-overloaded rats. Moreover, the 21-day treatment with the extract induced significant decreases (P<0.05 – P˂0.001) in serum glucose, creatinine, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and ALAT/ASAT levels or activities, and significant increases (P˂0.001) in serum HDL-cholesterol and body weight of diabetic rats. The ¶C. crepidioides aqueous extract has poten antidiabetic effects, justifying its traditional use for diabetes mellitus.