The Phytochemical Constituents, Hypoglycemic, and Antioxidant Activities of Senna occidentalis (L.) Ethanolic Leaf Extract in High Sucrose Diet Fed Drosophila melanogaster

Aim: This study was aimed at evaluating the phytochemical constituents, hypoglycemic, and antioxidant activities of Senna occidentalis ethanolic leaf extract in diabetic Drosophila melanogaster with emphasis on survival, phytochemical, biochemical and fecundity assays as well as locomotor activities. Methodology: S. occidentalis leaves was collected and prepared for extraction using 70% ethanol as solvent. The extract was subjected to phytochemical screening and the lethal dose (LD50) was Original Research Article Tochukwu et al.; JABB, 24(3): 48-63, 2021; Article no.JABB.68207 49 carried out on D. melanogaster for 7 days. Survival study was conducted by treating fruit flies with different concentration of the extracts for 28 days. Hyperglycemia was induced by feeding the flies with food containing 30% of sucrose for 10 days, and thereafter treated with different concentration of the extract and metformin (positive control) for 7 days. Diabetic flies were used for the negative geotaxis and fecundity assays. The homogenates of flies from the different groups of the treatment and control were prepared and used to quantify the glucose content and the antioxidant activities which included the thiol content, glutathione-s-transferase and catalase activities. Results: The phytochemical screening revealed the presence 8 different phytochemicals. The LD50 was determined to be 277.8 mg/10 g fly food of S. occidentalis. Supplementation with S. occidentalis ethanolic extracts showed a non-significant increase (P> 0.05) in the survival of D melanogaster when compared to the baseline group. Diabetic flies treated with the extract showed a dose-dependent decrease in serum glucose which was significant (P< 0.05) at 100 mg when compared to the negative control group(untreated). Negative geotaxis, fecundity and catalase activities of treated flies showed no significant difference (P> 0.05) when compared to flies in the negative control group. S. occidentalis ethanolic leaf extract significantly elevated (P< 0.05) the total thiol content and glutathione-s-transferase activities at certain concentration in a non-linear manner. Conclusion: From the findings, S. occidentalis ethanolic leaf extract contained several phytochemicals and it is relatively safe; possessing hypoglycemic and antioxidant properties when administered to diabetic D. melanogaster.