The Effects of Senna Tora Leaves Extract on the Blood Glucose Levels of the Diabetic Albino Rats (a Focus on Diabetes Mellitus)
Chapter One
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH
Therefore the goal of the study is to:
- To determine the blood glucose levels of normal and Alloxan-induced diabetic rats.
- To determine the effects of senna tora leaf extract on the blood glucose levels of diabetic albino rats.
- To compare values before and after induction with Alloxan and Senna Tora
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Plant senna tora, formally regarded as cassia tora is God’s gift to man. Senna (from Arabic Sana), the sennas is a large genus of flowering plants in the family fabaceae, subfamily caesalpiniodeae. This diverse genus is nature throughout the tropics with small number of species reaching into temperate regions. The number of species is usually estimated to be about 360 but believe that there are many as 350.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION OF SENNA TORA
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsioda
Sub class: Rosidae
Order: Fabales
Family: Caesalpiniodeae (fabaceae)
Sub family: Caesalpiniodeae
Tribe: Cassieae
Sub tribe: Cassiinae
Genus: Senna
Species: Tora.
Other species in the genus senna include obtusifolia and occidentalis which are similar both in physical and chemical characteristics and in their applications.
DESCRIPTION OF SENNA TORA
The sennas are typically shrubs or sub shrubs, some becoming scandent when growing into other vegetation. Some are herbs or small trees. Many species have extra floral nectarines. The leaves are parpinately compound, the leaflets opposite. The inflorescence is a raceme or some arrangement or racemes. The pedicles lack bracteoles. The flower lack nectar. They are buzz pollinated and offer pollen as a reward to pollinators. They stamens may be as few as four, but usually there are ten, when ten they occur in three sets. The ad axial stamens are staminodial. The four media stamens are smaller than the three basal stamens. The anthers are basified and open by two terminal pores or shot slits.
The gynocium is often enantiosylous, which is deflected laterally to the or left. This makes the flower asymmetrical as well. The fruit is a legume, indehiscent.
SOME COMMON NAMES OF SENNA TORA
Foetid, cassia, sickle senna, coffee pod, sickle pod, tovaa, and chakvad. Common Nigeria names include: “ochigichi” (igbos)”ako rere” (Yoruba’s), etc. Due to its potency in treating diseases and infections (nature serve, 2007).
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF SENNA TORA
Senna tora is worldwide in distribution and very common is Nepal, india, pakiston, bhatan, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, maylesia, papua, new guinea, philipines,southwestern pacific countries ranging from India subcontinent(Asian-tropical),Malaysia Solomon islands (the pacific),and Nigeria, along a stream band in aguodo-okelerin,ogbomoso, where it was found to grow together with senna occidentalis (ogunkule and ladejobi,2000 and duke,2002).the countries can be found along the tropical and subtropical regions of the globe at latitude 10o -30o north and south the equator. The climate consists mostly of the tropical monsoon climate of 270o (80.60of), 30oc (86of) in summer and 270oc (77.2of) in winter. The temperature of 24oc (69.8of) in winter, where the rainfall ranging between 10,795 mm,(425 inches) and 22,907mm (905 inches) as recorded in 1861, can be expected (aerola,et al.1992). But a temperature of 90c (150f) can be obtained in Himalayan (nature serve, 2007).
CHAPTER THREE
MAREIALS AND METHODS
PLANT MATERIALS
The fresh leaves of senna tora were dried and used for this study. The fresh leaves were harvested from “Ugba” village in Amorji-Nike Emene very close to caritas university Amorji -Nike Enugu and were identified by the villagers and also by Mr. Moses Ezenwali of department of biochemistry, Caritas University Amorji- nike.
ANIMALS
A total number of twenty (20) albino rats of either sex weighing135.5-279.3grams with the age range of three to five months were used in the experimental study. The animals were bought from the animal house of faculty of natural sciences and were fed with growers poultry feed in pelleted form and water. They were to stay for two weeks for them to acclimatize.
CHEMICALS AND REAGENTS
Some of the chemicals and reagents used for this study were bought from scientific shops in Ogbete market, Enugu and were of analytical grade. While others were obtained from the laboratories of biochemistry departments caritas university and Ebonyi state university. Some of them include: methanol, Alloxan and distilled water.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS
The blood glucose estimation of the rats in different groups before Alloxan induction, after Alloxan induction and also after senna tora induction are shown in the tables below:
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION
Primary therapeutic purpose for treating type 1 diabetes is to reduce blood glucose levels. Various hypoglycemic medications have been prescribed in the hospitals and clinics which promote insulin sensitivity and reduce hepatic glucose output. However, some of these hypoglycemic medications may have some effects. In case of type 1 diabetes patients who have been treated with insulin therapy for extended period of time compound about pain, bruise and even insulin allergy rash and dyspnoea (Lee, 2008). Therefore natural medicinal plants and foods that have antidiabetic functions but do not have harmful side effect have been focused on. Recently kinds of polysaccharides from the edible plants have been reported as antidiabetic agents. In the present study, positive effect of senna tora leaves extract on blood glucose control was clearly seen in Alloxan diabetic rats. From the results obtained, there was an increment in the random blood glucose levels at 30 and 60 minutes after the induction of Alloxan however, the lessening of the blood glucose rise was seen even with a short period of 30 minutes after injection of the rats with senna tora leaves extract. There was a significant difference in the reduction of glucose levels amongst the different groups. The reduction of blood glucose level is highest in group B than in other groups followed by that in group A and finally in the group C. This might be related with the concentration of senna tora leaves extract administered to the different groups. Group B received 1000mg kg body weight of the extract while group C did not receive any extract, however the three groups A, B and C received 100mg kg body weight of Alloxan each before the administration of senna tora extract. Other possible explanation in regards to the differences in reduction of blood glucose level is that senna tora extract might protect some pancreatic cells from further damaging or even enhancement of remaining beta cell function.
CONCLUSION
The result obtained showed that methanol extract of senna tora leaves has a beneficial effect for hypoglycemic control, thus the extract can be used for the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus.
RECOMENDATION
Studies on the long-term effects of senna tora may be worthy to performed in the future since this short term study has implications in terms of reducing blood glucose levels and also further studies with pancreatic beta cells are needed to clarify its effects, the mechanism involved and the Phytochemical properties.
REFERENCES
- Aerola, R.., James, W., and Harbour, P. (1992). Worldwide distribution of sennas. Retrieved may 12, 2010 from www.himala health care.com/herb finder.
- Ahn, K. (1998). Illustrated book of Korean medical herbs. kyohak publishing co., ltd: Seoul, republic of Korea .
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- Choi, H. (1997). Calcium modulation of insulin secretion in perfused pancreata of obesed rats. J. food sci nutri, 144- 148.
- Cho, S., Kim, N., lee, H., son, I., and Ha, T. (2005). Effects of cassia tora Fibre supplement on serum lipids in Korea diabetic patients. J .med. food fall, 8:311- 318.
- Coosperstin, S. And lazarow, A. (1964). The effect of Alloxan on islet tissue permeability. Oxford: pergamon press.
- Dubois, H. And Bankauskaite, V. (2005). “Type 2 diabetes programmes in Europe” (PDF). Euro observer 7 (2): 5-6.
- Duke, H. (2002). Chemical characterization and antioxidant activities of oligometric fractions from seeds. California, U.S.A.: Wadsworth publishing Co.
