Abstract:
This study was conducted during the period 2011-2013 in ordered to
investigate the potentiality of the ethanolic extract of fenugreek seeds as anti-
diabetic and anti-lipidemic agent using two doses of the extract, 200 mg/kg
body weight as low dose and 500 mg/kg body weight as high dose given to the
experimental animal’s albino rats for 30 days duration. Blood glucose, total
cholesterol, Triglyceride, were measured after 15 days and after 30 days of the
treatment and LDL- cholesterol, HDL- cholesterol and animals body weight
were measured after 30 days of the experiment period. Hyperglycemia was
achieved by injection the animal 150 mg Alexon monohydrate and
Hypercholestaemia was imposed by feeding the rats with 0.5% pure cholesterol
solution throughout the experiment period.
Data collected were analyzed using statistical SPSS (16.0) computer
application program, t- test was used for comparison means and ±SD were
obtained p- value equal or less than 0.05 considered significant. The findings of
this study revealed that body weights of the animals were not statistically
altered from control values when the animals treated either the alloxan
monohydrate or 0.5 pure cholesterol solutions, but after 30 days of fenugreek
seed extract was given to the animals statistical body weight increase was
observed when high dose (500 mg) was used.
Blood glucose which was dramatically raised up to a mean of 480.22
mg/dl following alloxan monohydrate treatment, was gradually reduced to
375.16 and 330.76 mg/dl when 200 mg/kg body weight of seed extract given
for 15 days to the animals, and significantly reduced to 288.182 mg/dl and
180.18 mg/dl when 500 mg/kg body weight were given to the animal for 15
and 30 days respectively . A reduction of about 40% and 63% in animal blood
glucose level were seen when animals treated with (500 mg/kg/ body weight of
fenugreek seed extract for 15 and 30 days respectively , the dose of 200mg/ kg
body weight caused reduction of 21% and 30% from control value when used
to the same experiment period .
Total cholesterol and LDL - cholesterol raised to significant levels in the
rats when treated with 0.5% cholesterol solution were statistically reduced in
the blood of the animals when treated with 500 mg/kg body weight for 30 days.
While the dose of 200mg/kg body weight had no significant reduction when
given for 15 days or 30 days. This result may indicate that the lowering effect
of fenugreek seed extract is a dose dependent.
It has been postulated that the lowering effect of the fenugreek seed on the
level of blood glucose and cholesterol may be du to the restoring effect of the
extract on the beta cells of the pancreas and enhancing insulin secretion and
also due to the fiber, saponins and proteins content a biological agents that have
been clamed to have lowering effect on lipids.
