Antihyperglycaemic and Antilipidaemic Activities of the Methanol Seed Extract of Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis var. flavicarpa) in Alloxan Induced Diabetic Rats

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the antihyperglycaemic and antilipidaemic effect of methanol extract of seeds of Passiflora edulis var. flavicarpa in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Alloxan was administered as a single dose (120mg/kg, b.wt) to induce diabetes mellitus. Thirty albino rats were randomly divided into six groups of five rats each. Group I served as normal control. Group II served as diabetic control. Group III served as diabetic rats treated with oral hypoglycemic agent glibenclamide (2.5mg/kg). Groups IV, V and VI were diabetic rats orally administered with extract of the seeds (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg). The study was carried out for 28 days. On the 29^th day, after an overnight fast, blood samples were obtained by cardiac puncture under inhaled chlorofoam anesthesia for the determination of the fasting blood glucose (FBS), serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and high density cholesterol (HDL-C). The low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), atherogenic index (AI) were also calculated. The extracts of the seeds at the dose of 100, 200 and 400mg/kg reduced the blood glucose level by 46.89%, 52.13% and 57.52% respectively as compared to standard drug glibenclamide (2.5mg/kg) which showed 66.18% reduction in the diabetic rats. The extract also reduced the elevated lipid profile parameters such as TG, LDL-C, VLDL-C, and TC, increased the reduced level of HDL-C. The result suggests that methanol extract of the seeds of Passiflora edulis var. flavicarpa possesses antihyperglycaemic and antilipidaemic properties.

Keywords: Passiflora edulis var. flavicarpa., Antihyperglyceamia., Antilipidaemia., Alloxan., Glibenclamide.