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    Pharmacognosy Communications
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    Pharmacognosy Communications
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    Research Article

    Comparative Hypoglycemic Property of Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts of Viscum album (Mistletoe) and Their Effects on Body and Organ Weights of Diabetic Rats (Rattus norvegicus).

    wadmin2By wadmin2April 11, 2014Updated:August 10, 2021No Comments2 Mins Read
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    Chikezie, P.C. and Iheanacho, K.M.E1
    Department of Biochemistry, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria
    1Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria.

    Pharmacognosy Communications,2014,4,2,13-19.
    DOI:10.5530/pc.2014.2.4
    Published:April 2014
    Type:Research Article

    ABSTRACT

    Plants are veritable sources of bioactive principles with profound therapeutic and medicinal value. The present study sought to determine, on comparative basis, the capacities of aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts of Viscum album to ameliorate hyperglycemia and their effects on the body and visceral organ weights of experimental animals. Preparation of aqueous and ethanol/water (ratio 2:1; v/v) extracts of V. album was according to standard methods. Hyperglycemia was induced in 12 h fasted animals by intra-peritoneal injection of 0.1 mol/L alloxan monohydrate in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution (pH =7.4) at a dose of 140 mg/kg per body weight (b/w). Blood samples were drawn from the rats at regular intervals of 2 days for 14 days and measured for fasting blood glucose (FBG) using spectrophotometric methods. The body weight (b/w), pancreas, liver, kidney, heart and spleen of the rats were measured with electronic weighing balance. Comparative analyses showed that the aqueous leaf extract of V. album exhibited greater capacity to lower % FBG levels than the corresponding ethanolic leaf extract within the experimental time intervals of 0 day ≤ t ≤ 6 days; p > 0.05. In contrast, at t > 6 days, ethanolic leaf extract of V. album showed greater capacity to lower % FBG levels than corresponding the aqueous leaf extract; p < 0.05. Hyperglycemic rats without glycemic control exhibited 6.55 ± 1.08 % loss in b/w. Increases in kidney and heart weights of the test groups were not significantly different (p > 0.05) from the control (group C-N). Untreated diabetic rats showed significant (p < 0.05) increases in pancreas, liver and spleen weights compared to the group C-N. The therapeutic thresholds of the leaf extracts might be in connection with pharmacognostic dynamics coupled with toxicological outcomes of the administered leaf extracts.

    Keywords: Fasting blood glucose, Rattus norvegicus, visceral organ, Viscum album, diabetes mellitus, mistletoe.

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    About Journal
    About Journal

    Pharmacognosy Communications [Phcog Commn.] is a quarterly journal published by Phcog.Net. It is a peer reviewed journal aiming to publish high quality original research articles, methods, techniques and evaluation reports, critical reviews, short communications, commentaries and editorials of all aspects of medicinal plant research. The journal is aimed at a broad readership, publishing articles on all aspects of pharmacognosy, and related fields. The journal aims to increase understanding of pharmacognosy as well as to direct and foster further research through the dissemination of scientific information by the publication of manuscripts. The submission of original contributions in all areas of pharmacognosy are welcome.
    Indexed and Abstracted in : Chemical Abstracts, Excerpta Medica / EMBASE, Google Scholar, CABI Full Text, Ulrich’s International Periodical Directory, ProQuest, Journalseek & Genamics, PhcogBase, EBSCOHost, Academic Search Complete, Open J-Gate, SciACCESS.
    Rapid publication: Average time from submission to first decision is 30 days and from acceptance to In Press online publication is 45 days.
    Open Access Journal: Phcog Commn. is an open access journal, which allows authors to fund their article to be open access from publication.

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