Research Article Antidiabetic and Antihyperlipidemic Activities of the Leaf Latex Extract of Aloe megalacantha Baker (Aloaceae) in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Model Workineh Woldeselassie Hammeso , 1 Yohannes Kelifa Emiru , 2 Kefyalew Ayalew Getahun , 2 and Wubayehu Kahaliw 2 1 School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan Teferi, Ethiopia 2 School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia Correspondence should be addressed to Yohannes Kelifa Emiru; johnkelifa@gmail.com Received 20 December 2018; Revised 7 March 2019; Accepted 14 April 2019; Published 23 April 2019 Academic Editor: Giuseppe Caminiti Copyright © 2019 Workineh Woldeselassie Hammeso et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Background. Diabetes mellitus has become a major public health and economic problem across the globe. Te inadequacies, as well as serious adverse efects associated with conventional medicines, led to a determined search for alternative natural therapeutic agents. Te leaf latex extract of Aloe megalacantha has been used for the management of diabetes mellitus in Ethiopian folk medicine. Tis study aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic efects of the leaf latex extract of A. megalacantha in streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic model. Methods. Te experimental diabetes was induced in Swiss albino mice by the administration of a single dose of STZ (150 mg/kg), intraperitoneally. Te leaf latex extract of A. megalacantha at three diferent doses (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) was administered for a period of 14 days. Fasting blood glucose levels (BGLs) were measured by glucose-oxidase and peroxidase reactive strips. Afer fourteen days, mice from all groups fasted and the blood was collected through puncturing the retroorbit of the eyes under mild anesthetic condition. Te collected blood sample was used to determine serum biochemical parameters such as total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Te statistical analysis of results was carried out using one-way analysis (ANOVA) followed by post hoc multiple comparison tests. Results. Oral administration of A. megalacantha leaf latex extract at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg daily for 14 days results in a signifcant (p < 0.05) decrease in fasting BGL as compared to negative control STZ-induced diabetic mice. Te leaf latex has signifcantly reduced the level of TC, TG, and LDL, VLDL cholesterol while a signifcant (p < 0.05) HDL cholesterol increment was observed. Conclusions. Te fndings of the present investigation indicated that the leaf latex of A. megalacantha possessed signifcant antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic potential which may prove the claimed use of the plant in amelioration of diabetes and associated complications in Ethiopian folk medicine. 1. Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high level of glucose in the blood resulting from a relative or absolute defciency of insulin action [1]. DM afects a population of approximately 424.9 million adults (aged 20-79) worldwide in 2017 [2]. Tis disease is associated with micro- and macrovascular complications which lead to the development of disability and life-threatening medical conditions [3]. Hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and oxidative stress are the main important characters of DM and represent a major risk factor for the development of complications of diabetes [4, 5]. To date, the available therapy for dia- betes includes insulin and various oral antidiabetic agents such as sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, and -glucosidase inhibitors. Tese drugs are used as monotherapy or in combination to achieve better glycemic control [5, 6]. Good glycemic control delays the development or pro- gression of diabetic complications but does not completely Hindawi Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Volume 2019, Article ID 8263786, 9 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8263786