Comparative Hepatorenal Effects of Ethanolic Extracts of Vernonia amygdalina and Ocimum gratissimum in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Wistar Rats

Comparative Hepatoprotective Effects of Carica papaya, Azadirachta indica, and Allium sativum Extracts against Diethyl Nitrosamine-Induced Liver Injury in Wistar Rats

It is indicated that combining papaya, neem, and garlic extracts may provide greater hepatoprotection than administering the individual extracts against DEN-induced liver injury, and supports further mechanistic and preclinical evaluation of this polyherbal formulation before its potential therapeutic application in liver-disease management.

Effects of an Aqueous Extract of Vernonia Amygdalina Del. (Asteraceae) Leaves on Blood Glucose Levels in Rats

Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem, which has spurred research into plant-derived substances that may help control blood glucose levels. This study aimed to evaluate the hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic activities of an aqueous extract of Vernonia amygdalina leaves in Rattus norvegicus rats. The leaves, harvested in Djébonoua (Côte d’Ivoire), were dried, ground, and then extracted with distilled water. A phytochemical screening was performed to identify the different groups of secondary metabolites. An acute toxicity study was conducted in female rats in accordance with OECD Test Guideline 423, using a single dose of 2,000 mg/kg body weight. Hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic activities were evaluated in male rats, under normoglycemic conditions and after an oral glucose load, respectively, using glibenclamide as a reference drug. The aqueous extract of V. amygdalina leaves contained sterols, polyterpenes, polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and saponins, with polyphenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids being particularly abundant. At a dose of 2,000 mg/kg, no deaths, no clinical signs of toxicity, and no significant changes in body weight were observed after 14 days. Under normoglycemic conditions, the extract did not cause any significant reduction in blood glucose levels at doses ranging from 100 to 1,000 mg/kg. However, following a glucose overload, doses of 100, 200, and 500 mg/kg significantly reduced the induced hyperglycemia, with the maximum effect observed at 200 mg/kg. These results demonstrate the antihyperglycemic activity of the aqueous extract of V. amygdalina leaves, associated with good acute tolerance.

Protective Effects of Methanolic Extracts of *Calotropis gigantea* Leaves, Stem Bark and Roots against Diabetes-Induced Hepatic and Renal Dysfunction in Streptozotocin-Induced Albino Rats

Calotropis gigantea is widely used in traditional medicine, but comparative evidence concerning the antidiabetic and organ-protective effects of its different anatomical parts remains limited. This study evaluated the phytochemical constituents and therapeutic effects of methanolic extracts derived from the leaves, stem bark, and roots of C. gigantea in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic albino rats. Plant materials were air-dried, pulverized, extracted through cold maceration in methanol for 72 hours, and concentrated using a rotary evaporator. Phytochemical constituents were characterized by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Thirty-six male albino rats were randomly allocated to six groups: normal control, diabetic control, metformin-treated (100 mg/kg), and leaf-, stem-bark-, and root-extract-treated groups (100 mg/kg each). Treatments were administered for 14 days. Fasting blood glucose, liver and kidney function indices, and lipid profiles were assessed, alongside histopathological examination of liver and kidney tissues. GC–MS identified several bioactive constituents, including 7-octen-2-ol, α-terpineol, and D-limonene. Diabetes induction increased fasting blood glucose from 4.93 ± 0.25 to 16.14 ± 0.98 mmol/L, with concentrations remaining elevated in untreated diabetic rats. All extracts significantly reduced blood glucose, while the root extract produced the greatest reduction, from 15.37 ± 1.10 to 8.93 ± 1.94 mmol/L, comparable to the response observed with metformin. The root and leaf extracts produced the strongest improvements in renal function indices. The leaf extract yielded the most pronounced reductions in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase activities and improved the lipid profile by reducing serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations while increasing high-density lipoprotein concentrations. Histopathological findings corroborated the biochemical results, demonstrating reduced hepatic and renal tissue damage in treated animals. These findings indicate that C. gigantea extracts, particularly those obtained from the roots and leaves, possess antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and lipid-modulating potential, supporting their further pharmacological evaluation for managing diabetes-associated complications.

Effects of the Aqueous Extract of Launaea acanthodes Aerial Parts on Antioxidant and Renal Indices in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Male Rats

Effect of Morinda citrifolia L. Ethanolic Leaf Extract on PancreaticHistopathology in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Morinda citrifolia L. (noni) is used in Indonesian jamu for diabetes, but evidence for its leaf is limited. This study evaluated its ethanolic leaf extract (MCLE) on pancreatic histopathology in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Thirty male rats were randomised into six groups (n = 5): normal and negative controls, glibenclamide (0.45 mg/kg BW), and MCLE at 250, 500 or 750 mg/kg BW orally for 28 days after confirmed diabetes (STZ 40 mg/kg BW). Haematoxylin–eosin-stained pancreata were graded on a 0–3 damage scale. Screening detected alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins and steroids. Pancreatic damage differed markedly among the groups (p < 0.001). Only the highest dose, 750 mg/kg BW, gave significantly less damage than the untreated diabetic control, reaching a condition indistinguishable from both healthy animals and glibenclamide. The 250 and 500 mg/kg BW doses did not differ from the untreated diabetic control. MCLE is therefore pancreatoprotective at 750 mg/kg BW only.

Biochemical and Histological Effects of Ethanolic Solanum lycopersicum Fruit Extract on Aspirin-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Adult Male Wistar Rats

Background: Aspirin is widely used for its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties but may produce tissue injury, including hepatic alterations at high or repeated exposure. Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) contains bioactive compounds with antioxidant and potentially protective properties. This study investigated the biochemical and histological effects of ethanolic S. lycopersicum fruit extract on aspirin-induced hepatotoxicity in adult male Wistar rats. Methods: Twenty-five adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups of five animals. Group A served as the normal control, while Group B received aspirin (300 mg/kg). Groups C, D, and E received aspirin (300 mg/kg) followed by ethanolic tomato fruit extract at 100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg, respectively, for 14 days. Serum AST, ALT, and ALP, relative liver weight, body weight, food and fluid intake were assessed. Liver tissues were examined histologically following haematoxylin and eosin staining. Results: AST was significantly higher in Groups C, D, and E than in the aspirin-only group (P<0.05). ALP was significantly increased in Groups C and D but not Group E. ALT showed no significant differences among groups. Relative liver weight did not differ significantly. Histologically, the aspirin-only group showed moderate hepatocellular degeneration, inflammatory-cell aggregation, hepatocellular clearing, and cytoplasmic ground-glass changes. Extract-treated groups demonstrated moderate hepatic regeneration with generally mild inflammatory changes. Conclusion: Ethanolic S. lycopersicum fruit extract was associated with histological evidence of hepatic regeneration following aspirin exposure, although biochemical findings did not demonstrate consistent hepatoprotection. Further studies incorporating oxidative-stress markers and phytochemical characterization are warranted.