Purpose: To investigate the ameliorative effect of ethanolic extract of
Carica papaya
leaves in alloxan -
induced diabetic rats.
Methods: Rats were randomly divided into five groups of eight animals each. Group A (control)
comprised normal healthy animals which were orally administered 1.0 ml of distilled water daily for 21
days while groups B – E consisted of alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Group B comprised diabetic
untreated rats, and groups C and D received 1.0 ml of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg body weight of the
extract, respectively. Group E received 300 mg/kg of metformin.
Results: Administration of the extract to the diabetic rats significantly reduced (p < 0.05) glucose level
(123.50 mg/dl), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (1.24 mg/dl) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol
(LDL-C), while significantly increasing (p < 0.05) high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and total
protein level (66.51 g/dl) compared to the diabetic untreated rats. The extract also significantly
decreased (p < 0.05) the concentration of serum urea (12.35 mg/dl), creatinine, alanine
aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) of the diabetic rats.
Conclusion: The ethanol leaf extract of
Carica papaya ameliorates metabolic disorder caused by
diabetes in rats.
