Egwim Evans
Science Laboratory Technology Department, Federal Polytechnic, Niger State, Nigeria.
J Herb Pharmacother. 2005;5(1):27-34.
Adult guinea pigs and albino rats were given 2 mg/100 g-body weight of crude ethanolic extract of cashew root or pawpaw fruits, thereafter, tail blood films were collected to monitor postprandial glucose levels, thereafter, animals were thereafter maintained at 2 mg/ 100 g-body weight of extract 3 times daily for seven days. Organ body weight ratios and biochemical parameters in the plasma were determined. The crude ethanolic extract of cashew root and pawpaw fruits showed hypoglycemic potencies, however, the crude ethanolic extract of cashew roots showed more hypoglycemic potency than the crude extract of pawpaw fruits in both guinea pigs and rats. The ethanolic extracts reduced both plasma glucose as well as cholesterol and total lipids but showed no effect on plasma protein; pawpaw extract reduced glucose, liver glycogen, cholesterol and total lipid in guinea pigs from 46.50 +/- 3.50-14.30 +/- 0.29 (mg/dl), 5.51 +/- 1.5-1.52 +/- 0.50 (g/100 g); 189.09 +/- 5.91-162.50 +/- 2.95 (mg/dl); 705.00 +/- 46.06-630.00 +/- 15.06 (mg/dl), respectively; while in rats reductions were from 53.3 +/- 3.50- 32.25 +/- 3.25 (mg/dl), 4.28 +/- 0.50-2.3 +/- 0.78 (g/100 g); 203.85 +/- 2.95-171.23 +/- 5.78 (mg/dl) and 855.00 +/- 45.0-645.00 +/- 30.0 (mg/dl), respectively. Cashew extract reduced the same parameters in guinea pig from 46.50 +/- 3.50-7.00 +/- 0.10 (mg/dl); 5.51 +/- 1.5-0.15 +/- 0.50 (g/100 g); 189.09 +/- 5.91-162.50 +/- 0.04 (mg/dl) and 705.00 +/- 45.06-562.50 +/- 52.5 5.91-162.50 +/- 0.04 (mg/dl) and 705.00 +/- 45.06-562.50 +/- 52.5 (mg/dl). The reduction in rats were from 53.5 +/- 3.50-10.75 +/- 3.75 (mg/dl); 4.28 +/- 0.50-0.18 +/- 0.30 (g/100 g); 203.85 +/- 2.95-162.50 +/- 8.06 (mg/dl) and 855.00 +/- 45.0-557.50 +/- 37.5 (mg/dl), respectively. The work concludes that ethanolic extract of cashew root and pawpaw fruit contains natural substances that can be harnessed for the treatment and management of diabetes mellitus.
