Methanol seed extract of Citrus paradisi Macfad lowers blood glucose, lipids and cardiovascular disease risk indices in normal Wistar rats.

BACKGROUND

Alcoholic decoction of Citrus paradisi Macfad (Rutaceae) seed is traditionally used for the management of diabetes mellitus and obesity by the natives of South-West Nigeria. Despite its ancestral use, scientific validations of its therapeutic uses in the management of these conditions are lacking.

OBJECTIVES

The present preliminary study was undertaken to evaluate blood glucose and lipid lowering effects as well as cardiovascular disease risk factor-reducing effect of Citrus paradisi Macfad (100% methanol seed extract) in male Wistar rats.

METHODS

Rats, divided into groups I - V, with 6 rats in each group, were gavaged at the dose levels of 10 ml/kg/day of distilled water, 10 ml/kg of body weight/day of dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), 100, 300, and 600 mg/kg of body weight/ day of the extract dissolved in 10 ml/kg DMSO, respectively, for 30 days. On day 31, blood samples obtained were assayed for fasting plasma glucose (FPG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL-c), low density lipoprotein (LDL-c), and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL-c) using standard procedures. Cardiovascular disease risk assessing factors such as obesity or body mass index (BMI), atherogenic index (AI), coronary risk index (CRI) were calculated.

RESULTS

Results showed significant (p < 0.05, p < 0.001) dose related lowering effects of the extract on FPG, cardiovascular disease risk assessing indices and lipid parameters except HDL-c fraction which was significantly (p < 0.05, p < 0.001) elevated. The extract also induced significant (p < 0.05) dose related weight loss in the treated rats in the latter 15 days of their treatment.

CONCLUSION

These results, therefore, lend support to its therapeutic potentials in the management of suspected type 2 diabetic patients.