ANTIDIABETIC AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF ACACIA NILOTICA LEAF ON ALLOXAN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

In the present study the antidiabetic and antioxidant activity of Acacia nilotica leaf against alloxan induced diabetics rats was performed. The rats treated with alloxan showed a significant increased in glucose level and altered level of lipid profile, antioxidants, heamoglobin, glycosylated heamoglobin and insulin. The mechanism underlying alloxan induced hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus leads to over-production (excessive hepatic glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis) and decreased utilization of glucose by the tissues. Six weeks administration of ethanolic leaf extract of Acacia nilotica (300mg/kg b.wt.) and standard drug glibenclamide (600µg/kg ) to the diabetic induced rats resulted in significant (p<0.05) reduction in blood glucose level, restored heamoglobin, antioxidants and lipid profile as compared to untreated diabetic control rats. Study suggests that the Acacia nilotica leaves extract have significant hypoglycemic, antioxidant and hypolipidemic effect. The effect of Acacia nilotica leaves extract showed better response than standard drug glibenclamide. This potential activity of Acacia nilotica leaf might be due to the presence of its phytochemicals or the collective action of many active ingredients.