ABSTRACT

The phytochemical content of Portulaca oleracea leaves were analysed and found to contain phenols, alkaloids, reducing sugar, flavonoids and taimins. The proximate composition showed high moisture, crude protein and carbohydrate as well as vitamin A and some mineral elements. The effect of aqueous (I) and ethanolic (II) leaf extracts of A Portulaca oleracea on streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic male albino wistar rats were investigated after twenty-eight days supplementation. The plant leaf extracts of P. oleracea significantly (P<O.05) decreased the glucose level in test diabetic rats (groups I and II) as compared with diabetic and normal control rats (groups III and IV respectively). The study however, showed no significant (P>O.05) effect in aspartate aminotransferases (AST), alanine aminotransferases (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total protein, albumin and urea in groups I and II as compared to groups III and IV. The study also showed a significant (P<O.05) effect in bilirubin level when compared with normal control group but did not differ significantly (P>O.05) with diabetic control. The electrolytes analysed showed no significant (P>O.05) effect when compared with the controls except sodium which differed significantly (P<O.05) from the diabetic and normal control groups. The effect of P. oleracea on the high density lipoprotein (HDL- cholesterol) showed significant (P<O.05) increase in groups I and II as compared to groups III and IV respectively. Triacyglycerol (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL- cholesterol) and total cholesterol (TC) concentrations did not differ significantly (P>O.05) among the test diabetic rats and diabetic control rats. The recorded low levels of glucose and high level of HDL-cholesterol for test diabetic rats as compared to the high level of glucose and low level HDL-cholesterol in diabetic control rats suggest a hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effect of P. oleracea on test diabetic rats. In conclusion, the leaf extract showed some promise as a new potential natural product for the treatment of STZ- induced diabetic mellitus.