Nutritional and Hypoglycemic Effect of Fruit Pulp of <i>Annona squamosa</i> in Normal Healthy and Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rabbits

Abstract

Thenutritive value of the pulp of the edible fruit of Annona squamosa and its effect on various biochemical parameters has been assessed in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Different doses (2.5, 5.0, 10.0 g/kg b.w.) of fresh fruit pulp of A. squamosa were given to the three groups each of normal healthy and diabetic rabbits orally daily for 1 month. There was a control group of normal as well as diabetic animals which did not receive fruit pulp. Protein efficiency ratio (PER), digestibility coefficient (DC), biological value (BV) and net protein utilization (NPU) were calculated and improvement in the nutritional level was studied by comparing with the control group. Effect of the fruit pulp was also studied on various biochemical parameters, namely fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TCH), HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), total protein (TPR), alkaline phosphatase (ALKP), serum glutamate oxaloacetate and pyruvate transaminases (SGOT and SGPT), serumcreatinine (CRTN) and serum bilirubin (BIL). Protein andglucose in urine were also estimated. Total hemoglobin and glycohemoglobin (HbAc) were estimated in blood before and after 1 month of feeding fruit pulp. Fruit pulp increased the net protein utilization by 29.3 in normal healthy rabbits with 10 g/kg b.w. and 34.1 in induced diabetic (induced by alloxan) animals with 5 g/kg b.w. of the fruit pulp feeding when compared with the control group of rabbits (p < 0.001). Feeding fruit pulp with the same amount increased the total hemoglobin content by 21.0% in normal rabbits and 10.8% in diabetic rabbits. Fruit pulp also reduced the total cholesterol level by 45–46% in normal and 32.4% in diabetic animals with increased HDL-cholesterol. Feeding pulp improved the liver function in normal as well as diabetic rabbit as shown by reduction in the serum SGOT, SGPT, ALKP and bilirubin levels. The optimal improvement in nutritive value of normal animals was found with 5.0–10.0 g/kg b.w. of the fruit pulp feeding, while in diabetic animals it was 2.5–5.0 g/kg b.w. In the diabetic animals pulp feeding between 2.5 and 5.0 g/kg b.w. showed improvement in the glucose tolerance. Further, 5 g/kg b.w. of fruit pulp brought down urine sugar, urine protein and glycohemoglobin in diabetic rabbits. Feeding pulp had increased utilization of dietary protein, body weight as well as the ratio of gain in body weight per gram of protein consumed. It had a protective effect on liver and heart as indicated by reduction in the SGOT, SGPT, ALKP and serum bilirubin levels.

Animal models to test drugs with potential antidiabetic activity

“…Insulin determination is available in experimental animals by different methodologies (radioimmunoassay-RIA or immunometric assays) (Esmaeili and Yazdanparast, 2004). In chronic experiments, A1c glycated hemoglobin can be also measured (Gupta et al, 2005b;Sathishsekar and Subramanian, 2005;Sekar et al, 2005;Shirwaikar et al, 2005;Narendhirakannan et al, 2006;Santhakumari et al, 2006;Tanaka et al, 2006). Table 2 displays a list of plants and/or their active compounds tested in diabetic animals (induced by either STZ or alloxan) published in the past 2 years.…”

Etude Ethnobotanique des plantes médicinales utilisées dans le traitement traditionnel des hépatites virales B et C dans quelques départements du Bénin

“…2011). Des drogues végétales sont ainsi prescrites de façon empirique sans aucune connaissance scientifique de leurs activités biologiques et surtout de la toxicité éventuelle de leurs composants (Gupta et al, 2005 (Figure 3). La moyenne des consultations quotidiennes variait entre 4 et 8 et les hépatites ont fait l'objet de 3 à 4 consultations soit une fréquence de 30 à 40%.…”

Effect of water extract of Trichosanthes dioica fruits in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

“…In untreated diabetes, loss in body weight and increased excretion in urine of some compounds like glucose, proteins are also reported (16). Results in Table 2 show that in the untreated diabetic rats, there was a decrease in body weight and total protein and increased excretion of sugar and protein in urine.…”