Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM: one of the direct consequences of obesity is insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. Numerous treatments for this form of diabetes have been developed, but given the high cost of these drugs and their many side effects, more and more patients are turning to medicinal plants. Therefore, the present study aimed to promote the use of Solanum aethiopicum in the management of type 2 diabetes. Its aim was to evaluate the antidiabetic and antioxidant potential of different fractions of the aqueous extracts of Solanum aethiopicum. METHODS: To achieve this, fractions were prepared from the aqueous extract of Solanum aethiopicum. The phytochemical profile and in vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic potential of these fractions were evaluated. For the in vivo antidiabetic potential, forty-two male Wistar rats made diabetic were used. They were separated into seven groups of six rats each and after treatment (five weeks), biochemical parameters, histological sections and food intake were evaluated. RESULTS: These analyses showed that the aqueous fraction had the highest content of phenols (63.44 ± 2.43 μg GAE/mg), flavonoids (22.23 ± 0.11 μg QE/mg) and tannins (31.53 ± 1.27 μg GAE/mg). The in vitro antioxidant potential, antidiabetic and anti-obesity potentials were higher (p < 0.001) in the different fractions notably aqueous fraction with IC(50) values of 98.06, 46.13, 3.60, 5.06 and 2.80 mg/mL respectively for the inhibition of DPPH, ABTS, α-amylase, α-glucosidase and lipase. The aqueous extract significantly (p = 0.003) increased food intake during treatment (from 21 to 32.5 g at week 5. All fractions normalised blood glucose levels by the end of the treatment, with reduction percentages of 71.37 ± 1.22%, 71.63 ± 0.82%, 71.55 ± 0.80% and 80.36 ± 1.53% for the hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and aqueous fractions, respectively. Compared to untreated rats, triacylglycerol (138.88 ± 9.19 mg/dL) and LDL-cholesterol (33.91 ± 3.08 mg/dL) levels significantly (p < 0.001) decreased in rats receiving the different fractions, particularly the aqueous fraction. This profile was also superior across the various subgroups compared with metformin. Oxidative stress markers were lower in the organs (especially serum) of rats that received the hexane fraction (15.45 units/mg of protein for SOD and 0.26 nM MDA/mg of protein for TBARS). The intake of the different fractions of Solanum aethiopicum restored damage to the liver, kidneys and pancreas. CONCLUSION: Thus, the use of these aqueous fractions of Solanum aethiopicum could inhibit activities of α-amylase, α-glucosidase and lipase, reduces the stress caused by diabetes and helps with the management of people with type 2 diabetes.