Acute oral toxicity study of ethanol extract of Ceiba pentandra leaves as a glucose lowering agent in diabetic rats

Abstract

To evaluate the use of Ceiba pentandra (C. pentandra) as a glucose lowering agent and the attendant physiological changes in albino rats. Acute oral toxicity study of the extract was carried out by the administration of 10, 100, 1 000, 1 600, 2 900, and 5 000 mg/kg body weight of C. pentandra to rats in their respective groups. Twenty healthy albino rats weighing between 140 and 150 g were randomly allotted to five groups of four rats each. 100 mg/kg body weight of alloxan monohydrate was i.p. administered to rats and rats with blood glucose≥200 mg/dL were considered diabetic. 5 mg/kg body weight of standard drug, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of ethanol extract of C. pentandra were orally administered to diabetic rats in their respective groups once daily for 12 days while the normoglycemic (control) group received 0.1 mL of normal saline for the same period. The blood glucose was checked after every 4 days and the experiment was terminated on the 17th day. Both phases of acute toxicity test yielded no death and the safe dose (LD50) of the extract was determined to be > 5 000 mg/kg body weight. The two extract treated groups exhibited a remarkable reduction in blood glucose [(87.72 ± 7.67) mg/dL for 200 mg/kg body weight dose and (86.33 ± 4.54) mg/dL for 400 mg/kg body weight dose] competitively with the normoglycemic group [(88.71 ± 4.56) mg/dL]. The animals were anesthetized under chloroform vapour and euthanized. The blood samples were collected by carotid puncture into sample bottles. The body weight of the extract and standard drug treated groups appreciated significantly (P < 0.05) more than even the normoglycemic group [(145.56 ± 4.98) g]. High density lipoprotein increased significantly in the extract treated groups with the 400 mg/kg body weight having the highest value of (18.61 ± 3.44) mg/dL and a concomitant reduction in the concentrations of low density lipoprotein, triacylglycerol, and cholesterol of same group. 400 mg/kg body weight dose of the extract also demonstrated the highest reduction in the activities of aspartate transaminase [(59.66 ± 3.45) IU/L], alanine amino transferase [(33.33 ± 4.34) IU/L] and alkaline phosphatase [(48.36 ± 3.41) IU/L] that elevated as a result of diabetes. The two extract treated groups demonstrated a marked reduction in chloride and a corresponding elevation in bicarbonate and sodium levels. Potassium, urea, creatinine, total and conjugated bilirubin that were elevated in the diabetic untreated group were all ameliorated in the treatment groups. Ethanol extract of C. pentandra has glucose lowering effect and can ameliorate the biochemical abnormalities associated with diabetes mellitus.