Antioxidant Potential of Rhipsalis elliptica Crude Extract and its Hypoglycemic Effect in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

Traditional medicine has become a practice of global importance and has increasingly become an integral part of human society with regard to their therapeutic uses. Diabetes mellitus has been a menace to mankind from time immemorial. However, a natural product such as Rhipsalis elliptica crude extracts offers alternative treatment for diabetes mellitus. This research work was aimed at evaluating the antioxidant and antidiabetes activity of the methanol crude extract of R. ellipticain alloxan-induced diabetic rats. 2, 2-diphenyl-1-pycryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) was used to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the crude extract of R. elliptica, Alloxan (150mg/kg) was used intraperitoneally to induce diabetic in albino rats. Eight groups, normal control, diabetic control, treatment group including glibenclamide (71 μg/kg) and pioglitazone (429 μg/kg), were considered in the study. The effect of the crude extract on glucose, other biochemical, and the hematological parameters were evaluated. Diabetic control was on the days 7 of the study with 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg of the extract showing a glucose reduction of 77.32±34.11 µg/mL, 63.35±24.32 µg/mL, and 57.35±24.32 µg/mL. The antioxidant activity result indicated significant antioxidant potential in hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol of 37.18, 24.12, 33.11 and 22.34 µg/mL respectively. This study showed that R.ellipticahas an antidiabetic activity which may be through the antioxidant potential and can reduce the risk of eyes kidneys, peripheral nerves, heart, and blood vessels as a result of hyperglycemia. Antioxidant potential of Rhipsalis elliptica crude extract and its hypoglycemic effect in alloxan-induced diabetic rats is reported for the first.