Opilia amantacea Roxb, is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional African medicine. However, data on its safety remain limited in the scientific literature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of Opilia amentacea Roxb. The work was carried out in accordance with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines for the testing of chemicals using Method 423 on Wistar rats. The ethanolic extract of the leaves of Opilia amantacea Roxb was administered at a single dose of 2000 mg/kg. The different clinical signs observed after administration and over 14 days were recorded. As results, no mortality was observed. Only a general state of sleep was observed in animals of the control batch and the batch treated with the ethanolic extract of the plant tested. The biochemical parameters transaminase (AST, ALT), bilirubin (free and conjugated), alkaline phosphatases, uricemia, urea, creatinine) and the hematological parameters studied showed a nonstatistical difference (p>0.05) between the test batch and the control batch. The same applies to the variation in the weight of animals. The ethanolic extract of the leaves of Opilia amantacea Roxb does not have significant toxic effects on liver, kidney and blood tissue at a dose of 2000 mg/kg. From these data, it can be concluded that the ethanolic extract of Opilia amantacea Roxb does not exhibit acute toxicity to human health at the doses tested. Its use in traditional medicine may be recommended if efficacy data are established.

Diabetic therapeutic potentiality of methanol extract of stem leaves of Boerhavia diffusa was investigated following in-vivo study models in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat. Methanol extract of stem leaves of Boerhavia diffusa exerted the glucose lowering effect an increase in serum insulin level on 28 st day of postadministration. In addition to a higher expression of insulin receptor A. The extract treatment or glibenclamide for 28 days significantly (p<0.05) reduced HbA1c. Boerhavia diffusa L. or glibenclamide for 28 days show no damaging effect on red blood count and hemoglobin when compared to the control group. Significant (p<0.05) increase in platelet count and white blood cell count was observed in groups treated with Boerhavia diffusa L. and glibenclamide when compared to control group. Boerhavia diffusa L. and glibenclamide showed significant (P<0.05) decrease in total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) low density Lipoprotein (LDL), Alanine amino transferase (ALT), Aspartate amino transferase (AST), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT). Methanol extract of 600 mg/kg b.w had more lowering effect (p<0.05) on TC and TG as opposed to the untreated group. Methanol extract or glibenclamide also modulated significantly (P<0.05) the activities of carbohydrate-metabolising enzymes and Hepatic glycogen content. Boerhavia diffusa or glibenclamide administration up-regulated mRNA expression of Glucose Transporter-2 (Glut2) Boerhavia diffusa or glibenclamide also corrected antioxidant status of diabetic animals in liver. The lipid peroxidation inhibition activity of extracts from Boerhavia diffusa is stronger when compared to the reference antioxidant ascorbic acid. These clearly showed that methanol extract from Boerhavia diffusa has the inhibitory activities of the xanthine oxidase, lipoxygenase and acetylcholinesterase enzyme.

In the present study, we investigated the biochemical alterations and gene expression of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism after oral administration of Phyllanthus amarus. The quantitative estimation of total phenols, tannins and flavonoids showed that the extracts are rich in these compounds antioxidant potential of the ethanolic extract of the stem leaves of Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. & Thonn. Was evaluated by using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay. The extract showed significant activities in all antioxidant assays compared to the reference antioxidant ascorbic acid in a dose dependent manner. Phyllanthus amarus significantly reduced the blood glucose level starting on the second week. Furthermore, the extract of P amarus showed significant increase in plasma insulin and tissue glycogen contents. The antidyslipidemic effect was demonstrated by a significant reduction in plasma total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), while the cardio-protective lipid, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), was increased. Phyllanthus amarus also modulated the activities of carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes by significantly increasing the activity of hexokinase and pyruvate kinase (p<0.05) and significantly reducing the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1,6-diphosphatase and glycogen phosphorylase (p<0.05). Phyllanthus amarus administration up-regulated mrna expression of Glucose Transporter-2 (GLUT-2), and increased lipolysis and cholesterol metabolism through up-regulation of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), Sterol Responsible Element Binding Protein-1a (STREBP-1a) expression. FAS expression was down regulated. The Phyllanthus amarus induced increase in serum insulin level, glucokinase (GK), aldolase, pyruvate kinase (PK), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), and glycogen synthase activities in addition to a higher expression of insulin receptor A (IRA), GK, SDH.