Evaluation of Ethanol-methanol Extracts of the Leaf, Stem Bark and Root of Jatropha curcas on Selected Liver Markers of Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats

Aims: Diabetes mellitus is a growing problem worldwide entailing enormous financial burden and medicinal policy issues. It is presently considered among the top ten leading causes of death globally resulting in a raised level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (the most sensitive marker of liver cell damage). This study was therefore aimed at evaluating the effect of ethanol-methanol extracts of leaf, stem bark and the root of Jatropha curcas on serum aminotransferases (aspartate amino transferase (AST) and ALT) and total protein (TP) of streptozotocin - induced diabetic rats.

Methodology: Fifty-four (54) male Wistar rats weighing 150-200 g were assigned according to body weight into nine (9) groups of six (6) rats each. Group I was the normal control and given water and rat chow only, groups II, III, IV, V and VI were induced with diabetes using streptozotocin. Group II served as the diabetic control and was therefore, left untreated, while groups III, IV and V were treated with leaf, stem bark, root extracts of Jatropha curcas, respectively and group VI was given a standard drug (Glibenclamide). The remaining groups VII, VIII and IX were not induced with diabetes but were given normal leaf, stem bark and root extracts, respectively. The animals were sacrificed after 14 days and blood was collected for the study.

Results: The result obtained showed a significant (p<0.05) decrease in serum AST of groups III, IV, VII, VIII and IX compared with the diabetic control (DC). The serum ALT showed a significant (p<0.05) increase in group II (DC) compared with the normal control, while groups VII, VIII and IX were significantly (p<0.05) decreased compared with the normal control. All the test groups showed a significant (p<0.05) decrease in serum ALT compared with the diabetic control. There was no significant (p≥0.05) difference in serum TP of all the test groups compared with the normal control, however, there was significant (p<0.05) increase in the TP of diabetic control.

Conclusion: This study revealed that Jatropha curcas plant extracts might confer protection against diabetic-induced hepatocellular damage as evidenced by normalisation of serum levels of total protein and ALT of treated diabetic groups. The Jatropha curcas leaf extract appeared to have exhibited a better protection against hepatocellular diabetic-induced damage than the stem bark and root.