Abstract. The antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of aqueous and the hydroethanolic extracts of C. jagus were investigated on diabetic rats MACAPOS 1. Diabetes was induced on 6-8 weeks old wistar rats with high sugar diet (HSD) associated, one month after the beginning of the HSD, with dexamethasone (DXM) injection (25 µg/kg once every 2 days during 3 weeks). During 50 days, diabetic rats orally received Metformine (38 mg/kg bw), C. jagus hydroethanolic (75, 150 mg/kg bw) or aqueous (150 mg/kg bw) extracts. Treatment with extracts caused significant (P< 0.01) decrease in fasting glycemia, creatinemia, proteinuria, urine volume with concomitant increase in creatinuria, proteinemia, superoxide dismutase, catalase and thiol proteins. C. jagus extracts restored the imbalance of seric and urinary electrolytes, and significantly (P<0.01) increased peripheral sensibility to pain; the hydroethanolic extract was, in a dose dependant manner, more effective than aqueous extract and metformine. These results indicated that C. jagus extracts could possess antioxidant and antidiabetic activities on MACAPOS 1 diabetic rats, and could also improve renal and neurological diabetes damage. The results thus support the use of C. jagus in African folk medicine, mostly in diabetes mellitus treatment and likely its complications.

Increased consumption of high-calorie foods leads to obesity usually associated with metabolic disorders including diabetes, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. Ganoderma applanatum is a nonedible mushroom traditionally used in West Cameroon for the treatment of many diseases including hypertension, diabetes, and hepatitis. This study was designed to investigate the antidyslipidemic potential of water-soluble polysaccharides of G. applanatum in MACAPOS-2- (maize, cassava, palm oil, and sugar) induced obese rats. For this purpose, obesity was induced on 6–8-week-old male Wistar rats with a local high-fat diet for four months. G. applanatum polysaccharides (GAPs) obtained by hot water extraction were orally administered to obese rats for two months at different dose levels (50, 100, and 150 mg/kg bodyweight), and its potential was investigated on food consumption, bodyweight gain, serum, and tissue lipids parameters. GAP extract increased the bodyweight gain by raising the food intake of obese rats. Furthermore, the administration of GAP extract at different dose levels significantly decreased the total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and the atherogenic index from 50 to 150 mg/kg bodyweight. Conversely, GAP extract improved the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level in obese rats compared with untreated rats after two months’ study period. These results indicated that GAP extract may be considered as a novel bioactive compound against dyslipidemia and its associated complications.

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Background Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by an abnormally high blood glucose level. Glucose intolerance and insulin resistance are two characteristics that promote the onset and development of type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to create a diabetic rat model from obese rat MACAPOS 2. Methods A group of rats was subjected to a high-fat diet (HFD) compared to a control group (NC) which received a normal diet. After 16 weeks of HFD, Lee index was calculated, obese rats were subjected to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT). One group of HFD rats (HFDZ) received streptozotocin 22.5 mg/kg (iv). One week later, weight gain, water and food intakes, urine volume and fasting blood glucose levels were evaluated. Animals were also subjected to glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance tests. Results After 16 weeks of HFD, rats became obese, glucose intolerant and resistant to insulin. The body weight of rats was significantly high (+ 26.23%) compared to normal rats, glycemia remained significantly high (+ 45.46%, P < 0.01) two hours after administration of glucose in high-fat diet rats, water intake and urine volume were comparable to those of NC. In HFD, the streptozotocin injected after one week (HFDZ), amplified glucose intolerance. During ITT, glycemia remained significantly (P < 0.01) high from 15 min; and did not vary during the 60 min of ITT. The fasting glycemia one week after streptozotocin injection was significantly high (288 mg/dL) compared to HFD (114 mg/dL), associated whit a significant (P < 0.01) increase in water intake and 24 h urine volume. Conclusion These results showed that MACAPOS 2 associated with a low dose of streptozotocin (22.5 mg/dL) early leads to the diabetes in obese albinos Wistar rats and could be a real model to study the type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Crinum jagus is used in Cameroon western and eastern regions folk medicine in detoxification, the management of diabetes and obesity and also as antivenomous and antipoison. The aim of this work was to evaluate the subchronic toxicity of Crinum jagus extracts on male and female Wistar rats. Subchronic toxicity of aqueous and hydroéthanolic Crinum jagus extracts was determined on two month old normal Wistar rats. Those rats, once daily orally received, hydroethanolic (75, 150 mg/kg b.w.) and aqueous (150 mg/kg b.w.) extracts, during 90 days (tree month). In both males and females animals, the C. jagus effects were investigated on the evolution of weight, food and water intakes, kidney and liver functioning markers (serum total cholesterol (TC), total proteins, creatinine and transaminase: AST and ALT). Both aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts in males as in females, did not cause any adverse changes in anthropometric (body mass, relative weight of liver and kidneys, food and water intakes) and seric parameters (total cholesterol, total proteins, creatinine AST and ALT activity). Instead, those extracts remarkably improved antropometric parameters, liver and kidney function and even protect again atherosclerosis. The results indicated that aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts of Crinum jagus did not induce toxic effect at the doses used in long term treatment; thus justifying its empiric use in detoxification and as antivenomous.