Background and Aim: The present study evaluated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. Visceral organs and body weights were used as measures of the capacities of single and combinatorial herbal formulations of Acanthus montanus, Asystasia gangetica, Gongronema latifolium and Solanum melongenas to ameliorate systemic toxicity, visceral organs inflammation or necrosis and body tissues wasting in alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) rats. Materials and Methods: Alloxan-induced DM rats with fasting plasma glucose concentration (FPGC) > 5.71 mmol/L for 5 consecutive days were selected for the study. A total of 102 male Wistar rats were divided into seventeen (17) groups of six (6) rats each. Serum LDH activity and body weights and weights of visceral organs and were measured using standard methods. Results: Serum LDH activities of herbal treated rat groups varied within a relatively narrow range of 549.9 ± 12.10 -500.6 ± 12.02 IU/L and were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the untreated DM rat group. The body weights of the experimental rat groups after herbal treatment were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than their corresponding weights before herbal treatment. The ratios of liver weights to body weights were within the range of 0.0293 ± 1.4 x 10 -3 -0.0597 ± 2.3 x 10 -3 . The ratio of kidney weight to body weight of untreated DM rat group was 1.64 fold higher than that of normal rat group (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Overall, 200 mg/kg body weight double herbal formulations of A. gangetica + A. montanus and A. gangetica + G. latifolium offered the greatest therapeutic benefits to alloxan-induced DM rats, with respect to all diagnostic parameters considered in the present study.
INTRODUCTIONLactate dehydrogenase (LDH: EC 1.1.1.27) is an oxidoreductase and cytoplasmic enzyme that catalyzes the reversible reaction: L-lactate + NAD + ↔ pyruvate + NADH. 1,2 The LDH enzyme is a tetrameric protein and is composed of five possible isoenzymes, designated as LDH -1 -LDH -5 . 1,3 Heart, kidney, brain and erythrocytes are composed of one or two of the five possible isoenzymes of LDH. 4,5 The erythrocyte cells have the highest proportion of LDH -1 and LDH -2 , 4,6 whereas the liver and skeletal muscle has the highest percentage of LDH -5 .3,7 Clinical applications of LDH activity involve quantification of one or more specific serum isoenzymes. 1,6,7,8 Accordingly, mild elevation in serum LDH activity has been reported in cases of haemolytic anemia, muscular dystrophy, pulmonary infarction, hepatitis, nephritic syndrome and cirrhosis. 9,10,11 Diabetes mellitus (DM) is multi-faceted endocrine disorder associated with array of metabolic syndromes such as hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and impaired nitrogen balance. 12,13 A major detrimental outcome of these metabolic disorders is the generation of overwhelming cellular levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), which often results in tissue and organ damage. 12,14,15 Oxidative tissue damage is mediated by activation of cellular stress-sensitive pathways, w...