ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECT OF FICUS EXASPERATA (VAHL) AQUEOUS LEAF EXTRACTS ON BODY WEIGHT AND SERUM LIVER ENZYMES IN HYPERGLYCAEMIC WISTAR RATS

Various pharmacological actions such as anti-diabetic, lipid lowering and antifungal activities have been reported for Hcus exasperate. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of giving oral administration of Ficus exasperata extract with different dosages on body weight and liver function enzymes In streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and normal rats. Forty - Two adult Wistar rats of both sexes weighing between 200 - 235g were used for this study. The rats were bred In the animal holding of the Department of Anatomy, University of Benin, Benin City. The animals were randomly assigned into seven groups of Six rats each. Group 1 was the Normal Control Group. Group 2 served as Diabetic Control Group without extract treatment Group 3 was the experimentally induced diabetic rats treated with a standard anti-diabetic drug 5mg/kg of Glibenclamide. Group 4 was the experimentally induced diabetic rats treated with aqueous extracts of 100 mg/kg of Ficus exasperata. Group 5 was the experimentally induced diabetic rats treated with aqueous extracts of 200mg/kgf of Ficus exasperata. Group 6 was the non - diabetic rats treated with aqueous extracts of 100mg/kg of ficus exasperata. Group 7 was the non - diabetic rats treated with aqueous extracts of 200mg/kg of Ficus exasperata. Diabetes Mellitus was induced in groups 2, 3,4,5 rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of Streptozotocm (STZ) (60 mg/kg body weight) dissolved in 0.1M sodium citrate buffer (pH 4.8). The results from this study showed significant weight loss in the group of untreated diabetic animals. Furthermore! the study demonstrated significant increase In the activities of serum Aspartate Amino Transferase (AST), Alanine Amino Transferase (ALT), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) of diabetic rats as compared to the control group. Treatment with either aqueous leaf extracts of Ficus exasperata or glib end amide drug produced significant decrease in serum AST, ALT, ALP activities, as compared to the diabetic group. In conclusion, the results of this study showed that oral administration of the crude aqueous leaf extracts of Ficus exasperata has the potential to counter the hepatotoxicity presented by streptozotocin induced diabetes mellitus in wistar rats.