RENOPROTECTIVE, ANTIDYSLIPIDEMIC, AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIALS OF Picralima nitida PHENOLIC LEAF EXTRACT IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS
OGOCHUKWU NGOZI CHIDIMMA UMEH1*, JOSEPHAT IKECHUKWU OGBONNA1, EMMANUEL CHINEDUM OTAKAGU2, IFUNANYA OKOYE1, SABINUS IFEANYI OFOEFULE1
JOY CHIOMA ENECHI1*,
IKE OLUKA2
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos campus, Idi-Araba, Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, College of Medicine of the University of Lagos campus, Idi-Araba, Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria.
- Department of Systems Engineering, University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Retzky College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois, Chicago, Chicago 60612, Illinois, USA.
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Enugu, Nigeria
Afr. J Pharm Res Dev; Volume 18(1): 571-583 ; 2026
ABSTRACT
Complications of diabetes pose significant health challenges and emphasize the need for effective and specific interventions. This study evaluated the renoprotective, antidyslipidemic, and antioxidant effects of the phenolic fraction of Picralima nitida leaf extract in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic Wistar rats. To obtain a phenolic-rich fraction, fresh leaves were dried, ground, and extracted using hydro-methanolic maceration and solvent partitioning. A single STZ dosage of 50 mg/kg was used to induce diabetes in adult Wistar rats, who were then divided into six groups: normal control, diabetic control, glibenclamide (3 mg/kg), and phenolic extract at 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg. For 14 days, treatments were given orally. Standard spectrophotometric techniques were used to measure oxidative stress indicators, lipid profiles, and renal indices. One-way ANOVA and the Tukey post hoc test were used to examine the data at p < 0.05. The results indicate that phenolic extract improved all indicators in a dose-dependent manner. 600 mg/kg dosage restored Na⁺, K⁺, and Cl⁻ while considerably lowering urea and creatinine to levels statistically equivalent to normal controls (p > 0.05). Phenolic extract at 400 and 600 mg/kg significantly reduced total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), and triacylglycerol (TAG) (p < 0.05), significantly correcting lipid abnormalities. While malondialdehyde (MDA) levels decreased dose dependently, with 400 mg/kg correcting lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were significantly enhanced in all treatment groups (p < 0.05). Therefore, the phenolic extract of Picralima nitida leaf extract has proven to exhibit strong renoprotective, antihyperlipidemic, and antioxidant properties that are on par with or better than glibenclamide.
Keywords: Picralima nitida, diabetes mellitus, streptozotocin-induced diabetes, phenolic renoprotective antidyslipidemic activity.
Email of correspondence: ogochukwu.umeh@unn.edu.ng;
https://doi.org/10.59493/ajopred/2026.1.18 ISSN: 0794-800X (print); 1596-2431 (online)