Antilipidemic and Hepatorenal Effects of Aqueous Extracts of Terminalia catappa on Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats

Aims: Diabetes mellitus, a condition characterized by glucose receptor abnormalities affecting glucose uptake, affects approximately 600 million individuals globally as of 2021. This study aimed to assess the antilipidemic and renal effects of aqueous extracts from the root bark and flowers of Terminalia catappa on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Methodology: Twenty-five Albino rats weighing 160 – 300g were divided into five groups: A - normal control, B - diabetic control, C - diabetic treated with root bark extract, D - diabetic treated with flower extract, E - diabetic rats treated with glibenclimide. Diabetes was induced using streptozotocin (55mg/kg). The extracts (200mg/kg) were orally administered for 14 days, after which lipid profiles, renal and liver function tests were conducted.

Results: There was a significant (p<0.05) increase in total cholesterol, serum liver enzymes, and kidney markers in the diabetic control group compared to the normal control group. Treatment with the Terminalia catappa extracts for 14 days resulted in more than 20% decrease in urea (from 18.58 Mmol/L to between 11.58 and 13.92 Mmol/L), creatinine (from 343.56 Mmol/L to between 223.94 and 266.30 Mmol/L) and uric acid (from 570.54 µmol/L to between 413.55 and 440.62 µmol/L) concentrations by more than 20%, with the root bark extract showing the most significant effect. Additionally, the Terminalia catappa extract-treated groups exhibited a substantial (around 40%) reduction in serum liver enzymes compared to the diabetic control group. The hepatoprotective capacity of the root bark extract was similar to the glibenclimide-treated group. Furthermore, the extracts led to a 3% reduction in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoproteins, along with a significant increase in high-density lipoproteins.

Conclusion: The aqueous root bark and flower extracts of Terminalia catappa demonstrate potentials for managing diabetes mellitus at the specified dosage.