title: Hypolipidaemic and haematological evaluation of the hydromethanolic extract of Ficus glumosa stem bark in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetes mellitus is associated with dyslipidaemia and haematological disorders which lead to cardiovascular complications and anaemia respectively. In this study, hydromethanolic extract of Ficus glumosa was evaluated for its hypolipidaemic and haematological effects in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Treatment was done orally using 62.5, 125 and 250 mg/kg of F. glumosa extract (FGE) with glibenclamide (2 mg/kg) as standard reference drug for 21 days. At the end of the treatment, blood collected through direct heart puncture was used for evaluation of serum lipid profile and determination of haematological parameters. Organosomatic index evaluation of the liver, spleen and kidney was also done using standard procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All doses of the extract and glibenclamide (2 mg/kg) caused dose-dependent and significant (p<0.05) reduction in serum levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) of the treated rats when compared with the control group. The extract and glibenclamide produced significant (p<0.05) increase in the serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in the treated rats. The extract (62.5 mg/kg) and glibenclamide (2 mg/kg) caused a significant (p<0.05) increase in red blood cell (RBC), haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) in the treated rats when compared to the negative control group. However, FGE (62.5 mg/kg) and glibenclamide (2 mg/kg) produced a significant (p<0.05) decrease in mean corpuscular volume (MCV) value of the treated rats. FGE (125 and 250 mg/kg) produced a significant (p<0.05) increase in the organosomatic index of kidney in treated rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that F. glumosa may be of help in diabetes-induced anaemia and dyslipidaemia associated with diabetes mellitus.
authors.forename: Samuel O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Onoja
authors.forename: Yusuf N
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Omeh
authors.forename: Maxwell I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Ezeja
authors.forename: Vincent N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Chukwu
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D000818:Animals; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D030681:Ficus; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D000432:Methanol; D008517:Phytotherapy; D024301:Plant Bark; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018547:Plant Stems; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D000432:Methanol