Abstract

EFFECT OF CARICA PAPAYA AQUEOUS ROOT EXTRACT ON BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS OF ALLOXAN INDUCED DIABETIC MICE

Danny Banda*, Matthew T. Bhebhe, Nawa Nawa, Francis Kayamba, Kalirajan Arunachalam and Munsaka Siankuku

ABSTRACT

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disease characterised by chronic hyperglycemia affecting about 4.0 million lives every year globally. In Zambia, about 222, 000, people were diagnosed with DM in the year 2001 and epidemiological projections by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) showed that the number is expected to rise to about 691, 000 in the years ahead. The treatment of DM imposes a huge financial burden on victims hence the need to focus on finding cheaper and yet safer alternatives. Carica papaya (C.papaya family Caricacea), is a medicinal plant that has demonstrated an array of medicinal properties for both treatment and prevention of many diseases including DM. As such, in our study, the crude aqueous root extract of C.papaya was used to determine the effect on blood glucose levels blood glucose levels of alloxan induced diabetic mice. Aim of the study: The main objective of this research work was to determine the effect of Carica papaya root extract on blood glucose levels of Alloxan induced diabetic mice. Methodology: Phytochemical screening was performed on aqueous root extracts of C.papaya to determine presence of medicinally active components following standard guidelines. Thereafter, 24 mice with average weights of 20-30 g were allocated in four groups of six (6) each according to their treatment groups. A low dosage group and a high dosage group were used. Treatment was administered orally through feeding bottles 72 hours post Alloxan monohydrate injection. Blood samples for random blood sugars to monitor blood glucose levels were collected every day for 3 days. Results: The results showed a greater reduction in mean blood glucose levels of mice treated with C. papaya extract 1000mg/kg compared to C. papaya 500mg/kg (6.9 +/- 0.5mmol/L) vs (8.4 +/- 0.3mmol/L). Further, Glibenclamide group showed a lesser reduction in blood glucose than C. papaya 1000mg/kg [(7.4 +/- 1.9mmol/kg) vs (6.9 +/- 0.5mmol/L), (p= 0.697). The reduction in the mean random blood glucose levels in the treatment groups was found to be dose-dependent (p= 0.012). Conclusion: It was established that Carica papaya aqueous root extracts contain various phytochemicals namely sterols, flavonoids, phenols and tannins: and were observed to cause a statistically significant reduction in blood glucose levels of diabetes induced mice which was observed to be dose dependent.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, Carica papaya, blood, glucose levels, dose dependent.