Scientific publications
2007Journal articleEnglishOpen access
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Scientific publications
Pièrre Kamtchouing
Summary Canarium schweinfurthii (Burseraceae) is empirically used in Cameroon to treat various ailments, including diabetes mellitus. In the present work, the anti-diabetic effects of the hexane extract of C. schweinfurthii stem bark was evaluate in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes rats. Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of the plant extract where also evaluated. Acute (5h) and sub-chronic (14 days) treatments were undertaken using graded doses of the hexane bark extract in normal and diabetic rats. Diabetic groups treated with extract were compared with standard insulin. In normal and diabetic rats, the extract (75 and 150 mg/kg) produced a significant (P<0.001) hypoglycaemic effect 2 hours post-dosing during acute treatment. Daily treatment of diabetic rats with hexane extract (38, 75 and 150 mg/kg p.o) significantly decreased blood glucose levels by 72.17, 79.91 and 73.68 %, respectively, while insulin (10 UI/kg) given subcutaneously and once daily, had 71.1 % reduction as compared to initial values. Similarly, the body weight gains were 2.4, 9.4 and 7.9 %, respectively, and were comparable to the normal rats. Still with the same doses, there was 34.1, 46.1, 40.1 % (P<0.001) significant decrease in food consumption and 42.9, 60.6 and 52.5 % (P<0.001) in fluid intake by diabetic rats treated with the respective doses of the plant extract. The insulin treated rats showed 40.1 % and 64.9 % decrease in food and fluid intake as compared to diabetic control rats, 138.7 % and 504.7% respectively, at the end of the second week of experimentation.