The Hypoglycemic Effect of Musa Sapientum in Alloxan Induced Diabetic Albino Wistar Rat1

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease identified with abnormal high level of glucose in the blood and excretion in the urine. Traditionally,  Musa sapietum (banana) is a perennial herb that has been used to lower glucose level in the blood of diabetic patients. This research  aimed to determine the effect of methanolic extract of Musa sapientum (Musaceae) sucker (root) on blood glucose and glutathione levels  in alloxan-induced diabetic albino wistar rats and compared with a reference drug, gilbenclamide. Twenty-nine rats were grouped  into five. Groups A and B were induced with alloxan and orally administered with methanol extract of Musa sapientum sucker (root) at  doses of 5mg/body weight and 10mg/body weight simultaneously for 4 weeks, group C was fed with normal feed for 4 weeks, group D  was induced with alloxan and not treated for 4 weeks while group E was induced with alloxan and treated with gilberclimide (drug) for 4  weeks after which the rats were sacrificed and the levels of fasting blood glucose and glutathione were measured. Tests of homogeneity  of variance using OneWay Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were conducted. The blood glucose of the rats induced with alloxan only significantly increased while the level of glutathione significantly reduced compared with control showing induction of diabetes and  oxidative stress. Rats treated with Musa Sapientum at doses of 5mg/bodyweight and 10mg/body weight lowered the glucose level and  increased glutathione level significantly when compared with control and gilbenclamide groups.