ASSESSMENT OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF SORGHUM BICOLOR AND PENNISETUM GLAUCUM SEEDS IN AMELIORATING DIABETES IN ALLOXAN-INDUCED HYPERGLYCEMIC WISTAR RATS

Abstract

Background: To the best of our knowledge, there is a lack of scientific data on the traditional folkloric use of Sorghum bicolor and Pennisetum glaucum at dosages of 750 and 1000 mg/kg body weight by individuals with diabetes, which motivated the present investigation.
Aim: To evaluate the antidiabetic potentials of aqueous extract of Sorghum bicolor and Pennisetum glaucum seed in alloxan-induced hyperglycemic rats.
Materials and Methods: Forty nine albino rats of both sexes were divided into seven groups (A-G) of 7 rats each. Animals in group A (control) received distilled water while those in groups B-G which were induced into hyperglycemia by intraperitoneal injection of alloxan monohydrate (150 mg/kg body weight) received distilled water, 25 mg/kg body weight of glibenclamide (reference antidiabetic drug), 750 mg/kg body weight of S. bicolor, 1000 mg/kg body weight of S. bicolor, 750 mg/kg body weight of P. glaucum and 1000 mg/kg body weight of P. glaucum respectively. Extract administration of 0.5 ml was done once daily for 21 days after which blood glucose level, selected biochemical parameters and pancreatic histology were determined.
Results: S. bicolor and P. glaucum contains alkaloids, tannins, saponins, carbohydrates, phenols and glycosides. Triterpenes and steroids are present in P. glaucum only while cardiac glycosides are present in S. bicolor only. The proximate composition of S. bicolor and P. glaucum in ‘%’ are moisture content (6.57±0.09; 12.03±0.15), crude protein (11.27±0.15; 7.81±0.15), ash content (0.30±0.01; 2.20±0.11), crude fibre (3.32±0.02; 2.10±0.15), fat (3.27±0.15; 3.93±0.04), carbohydrates (75.23±1.19; 71.90±0.21) respectively. The amino acid content of S. bicolor and P. glaucum in ‘g/100g protein’ are (leucine: 13.72; 9.80), (lysine: 2.36; 3.70), (isoleucine: 4.00; 4.40), (phenylalanine 4.80; 5.15), (tryptophan: 1.21; 1.97); (valine: 5.40; 5.55), (methionine: 1.95; 2.46), (proline: 9.14; 6.50), (arginine: 4.82; 5.33), (tyrosine: 3.95; 3.44), (histidine: 2.17; 2.55), (cysteine: 2.20; 2.50), (alanine: 9.29; 7.75), (glutamate: 20.74; 19.68), (glycine: 3.18; 3.85), (threonine: 3.19; 3.83), (serine: 4.40; 4.60), (aspartate: 7.50; 8.00) respectively. Alloxan induction significantly (p<0.05) increased the levels of blood glucose (BG), feed intake (FI), as well as activities of glucose-6-phosphatase, α-amylase. Administration of alloxan significantly (p<0.05) decreased the levels of insulin, total protein (TP), body weight (BW), as well as the activities of hexokinase, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and phosphofructokinase (PFK) in the serum of the animals. However, when compared with the distilled water treated diabetic animals, treatment of hyperglycaemic/diabetic animals with the aqueous extract of both S. bicolor and P. glaucum seed at 750 and 1000 mg/kg body weight which significantly (p<0.05) decreased the levels of BG, FI,
International Journal of Global Affairs , Research and Development (IJGARD)
Vol.3, No.2, 2025, 233-256, ISSN 2992-2488 as well as activities of glucose-6-phosphatase, α-amylase, increased insulin, TP, BW, HDLC as well as activities of hexokinase, and PFK in the serum of the animals, in a manner comparable with the glibenclamide treated diabetic animals.
Conclusion: This study revealed that S. bicolor and P. glaucum seed exhibited antidiabetic activity against alloxan-induced diabetes and scientifically validated the folkloric use of the plant in the management of diabetes with the best effect at 1000 mg/kg body weight of P. glaucum seed. It could also be explored in the control of some of the metabolic dysfunctions normally associated with diabetes. Alkaloids, tannins, saponins, essential amino acids: lysine, valine, leucine, methionine, isoleucine, arginine, histidine might have acted singly or synergistically to produce the desired pharmacological effects.