Ethanolic Stem-Bark Extract of Blighia unijugata Possesses Anti-Hyperglycemic and Anti-Hyperlipidemic Activity in a Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes Model

Introduction: The global rise in the incidence of diabetes mellitus, particularly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and its associated complications have become a public health threat. Besides hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia has been associated with diabetes due to the defect in insulin secretion and/or action. Medicinal plants are being investigated to discover drug alternatives with better efficacies, lesser adverse effects, and cost-effectiveness. This work investigated the anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic activity of ethanolic stem bark extract of Blighia unijugata (EBU) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic Sprague- Dawley (SD) rats. Method: T2DM was induced in male SD rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (50 mg/kg in 0.1 M citrate buffer, pH 4.5) and confirmed 72 hours later. EBU (100 and 200 mg/kg) and glibenclamide (5 mg/kg) were administered orally to the diabetic rats (n = 5) for 28 days. The effect of the treatments on fasting blood glucose (FBG), lipid profile, atherogenic predictor indices, and body weight were assessed. Results: EBU treatments significantly reduced (p≤0.001) elevated blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and Very Low-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-c, p≤0.001) but increased High-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL, p≤0.05) compared to the diabetic control. Also, all the atherogenic risk predictor indices were significantly reduced (p≤0.001). In addition, EBU treatment mitigated the significant weight loss (p≤0.01) associated with the diabetic state when compared to the normal control. Conclusion: These findings first report the anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemic, and anti-atherogenic properties of the stem bark of ethanolic extract of Blighia unijugata, and can be further studied and used as an anti-diabetic and anti-hyperlipidemic agent. Keywords: Blighia unijugata; hyperglycemia; atherogenic index; hyperlipidemia; diabetes