Hypoglycemic Activities of Ethanolic Leave Extract of Acalypha Wilkesiana in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Wistar Rats

Diabetes is a rampant metabolic disorder of insulin deficiency or resistance. In support of the alternative therapy quest, this study investigates the antidiabetic actions of ethanolic leave extract of Acalypha wilkesiana (A. wilkesiana) in diabetic rats. The study was conducted in 3 phases using streptozotocin (50mg/kg) induced diabetic adult Wistar rats. In phase one, 18 diabetic rats were divided into 3 groups (n=6) and treated with distilled-water (10ml/kg), glimepiride (0.1mg/kg) and ethanolic leave extract of A. wilkesiana (250mg/kg) respectively. On separate 18 diabetic rats (phase two), 5% glucose (10ml/kg) was administered after treatments as in phase one. Blood glucose was measured at 0 and 30-minute intervals for 180 minutes in both phases. On another 18 diabetic rats (phase three), similar treatments were given daily for 14 days. Blood glucose was measured at day 0, 3 days after induction, 3, 7, 10, and 14 days treatments. ANOVA was carried out with p <0.05 as significant. The results showed progressively hypoglycemic actions significant from the 90th minute with glimepiride (285.17±12.09mg/dl) and the 120th minute with the extract (279.83±14.88mg/dl) through 180 minutes compared to control in 1st-phase. There was a significant obliterating effect on glucose-induced hyperglycemia in a time-dependent manner at 90th through 180th minutes after glucose loading in glimepiride and extract-treated groups compared to control (2nd phase). Streptozotocin-induced decreased body weight was improved in glimepiride and extract-treated groups by days 7 and 14 and there was a significant steady duration-dependent decrease in blood glucose from the 3rd to 14th day of treatments compared to control. The findings suggest that ethanolic leaves extract of A. wilkesiana possesses antidiabetic action probably through stimulation of pancreatic β-cells or improves insulin action.

Synergistic activities of methanol leave extracts of Acalypha wilkesiana, Senna alata, Psidium guajava against selected resistant bacteria isolates

Resistant strains of bacteria has over the years rendered conventional antibiotics ineffective. Consequently, this has resulted to severe infection, prolonged treatment, high cost of treatment and often times death. This study aimed to identify reliable alternative sources of bioactive agents with activity against resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi. Methanol extracts of Acalypha wilkesiana (MEAW), Senna alata (MESA) and Psidium guajava (MEPG) were tested alone and in combination against three clinical isolates. Ciprofloxacin was used as the positive control drug. A combination of Microscopic, macroscopic and molecular protocols was used to identify the test isolates. The antibiotic profiles of the isolates E. coli (E1), S. aureus (S4) and S. typhi (St2) indicated MultiDrug-Resisitant status (MDR). All the extracts demonstrated antibacterial activity against the resistant isolates with zones of inhibition that ranged between 3.1 – 25 mm and minimum inhibitory concentration of 12.5 – 200 mg/ml. Amongst the extracts tested, MESA was found to be the most active extract while MEPG was the least active extract. The combination of the different methanol extracts demonstrated synergistic effects against the test organisms with a fractional inhibitory concentration that ranged between 0.06 – 0.8 mg/ml. The observed antibacterial activity may be linked to the presence of some bioactive components such as phenolic compounds and flavonoids present in the extracts. The results of this study suggest A. wilkesiana, S. alata and P. guajava may represent reliable sources of important bioactive compounds for new drug development.

Phytochemical Evaluation and Acute Toxicity Study of Ethanol Leaf Extract of Acalypha wilkesiana

Increased curiosity on natural plant products has been raised due to problems of cost, unavailability, and after-effects of countless synthetic drugs. Worrisome, many plant-derived formulations lack phytochemically or toxicological screening. Hence, this study phytochemical and elemental screened the ethanolic leaf extract of Acalypha wilkesiana and as well as determining acute toxicity in adult male Wistar rats. The leaves were obtained in Benin City, Nigeria. Ethanol extraction was carried out on leaves and the extract was subjected to proximate, qualitative, and quantitative phytochemical screening and elemental analysis. Acute toxicity was determined on 12 adult male Wistar rats following Lork’s method. Proximate analysis revealed a high presence of carbohydrate, ash, fiber, and moisture. The qualitative and quantitative evaluation showed the abundance of alkaloids (68.7 ± 0.120%), flavonoids (34.7 ± 0.001%) and minute (<1mg/g) saponins, tannins, phenol, and terpenes. The extract contain nutritive (vitamin E = 1.184 ± 0.055µg/g; vitamin A = 0.0066 ± 0.003µg/g; vitamin C = 0.046 ± 0.037µg/g) and anti-nutritive (oxalates = 229.780 ± 16.93mg/100g; cyanide=0.162 ± 0.006 mg/100g; phytate = 0.131 ± 0.01mg/100g) elements. The elemental evaluation showed an abundance of potassium, sodium, and chloride with traces of cadmium and lead and the absence of manganese and copper. There was no sign of acute toxicity or mortality at an extract dose of 5000mg/kg. These findings indicate the ethanol leaf extract of A. wilkesiana as a rich source of phytochemicals and major macro elements and high safety at 5000mg/kg dose. Considering the several components in the leaves extract, Acalypha wilkesiana leaf might be pharmacological significant for the biological system.