IOSR Journal of Biotechnology and Biochemistry (IOSR-JBB) ISSN: 2455-264X, Volume 2, Issue 4 (May. – Jun. 2016), PP 28-32 www.iosrjournals.org www.iosrjournals.org 28 |Page Histopathology of the Pancreatic Cells of Alloxan Induced Wistar Rats Treated with Psidium Guajava Ethanolic Leaf Extract Nosiri C.I 1 ., Atasie O.C 2 ., Alvan L.C. 2 , and Ifedigbo O 2 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological and Physical Sciences, Abia State University, Nigeria Abstract: The histopathological effect of the pancreatic cells of alloxan induced diabetic rats treated with ethanolic leaf extract (200 and 400mg/kg p.o) of psidium guajava was investigated. The experiment lasted for 10 days. A standard drug Glinbeclamide (5mg/kg p.o) was also used to compare the potency of the different doses of the extract. The alloxan (150mg/kg) treated showed loss in body weight, hyperglycemia and damage of the islet cells of the pancreas. The extract and the standard drug showed both antihyperglycemic with increase in body weight and tissue protective properties. These effects could be attributed to its antioxidant activity leading to increased glucose metabolism and regeneration of the islet cells. Keywords: Alloxan, diabetes, Histopathology, pancreatic cells, psidium guajava, I. Introduction Psidium guajava (Linn) from the Myrteceae family is a large tropical evergreen shrub or small shade tree widely distributed in Mexico and Central America. It is cultivated today from the West Coast of Africa to the Pacific region, including India and China, with varieties originally introduced over the past 300 years from the United States [1]. Having a generally broad, low-calorie profile of essential nutrients, a single common guava (P. guajava) fruit contains about four times the amount of vitamin C as an orange [2]. Guavas contain both carotenoids and polyphenols which are the major classes of antioxidant pigments, giving them relatively high potential antioxidant value among plant foods[3]. Psidium guajava has been shown to possess some bioactive and chemical constituents[4] and demonstrated a lot of pharmacological activities like antispasmodic and antimicrobial properties [5]. P. guajava stem bark has also shown anti-hyperglycaemic effect [6] likewise the aqueous leaf extract induced with streptozotocin [7]. Many pharmacological studies have demonstrated the ability of this plant to exhibit anti-oxidant [8], cytotoxic, hepatoprotective using the aqueous leaf extract [9] anti-allergy, anticough [10], antiplasmodial, anti-inflammatory, activities supporting its traditional uses. There are so many reports on the phytochemical analyses of guava leaf which revealed the presence of more than 20 isolated compounds such as saponins, phenol, carotenoids, anthocyanins, alkaloids, tannins, vitamin C [11]. Phytochemical studies have also shown the presence of Flavanoids in particular Quercetin, Tannins, Triterpenoids, Maslinic acid, beta-sistosterol [12], Saponins, Carotenoids and Lecitin [13], Alkaloids, Glycosides and Steroids. It has been estimated worldwide that prevalence of diabetes mellitus in 2008 was more than 347 million with varying prevalence among different ethnic groups [14] and it is expected that in 2025 the number will rise to 500 million. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease with no known cure except in very specific situations. The blood glucose level becomes high due to defects in either insulin secretion where the pancreas is not producing enough insulin or insulin action in the body where the cells of the body is not responding properly to the insulin produced or both. Insulin deficiency leads to hyperglycaemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism [15]. Alloxan-induced diabetes has been commonly demonstrated as an experimental model of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Alloxan action in the pancreas is preceded by its rapid uptake by pancreatic beta cells as urea analogue of glucose that has been proposed to be one of the important features to determine alloxan diabetogenicity. Damage of the cells occurs as a result of the toxic action of alloxan [16].This has been shown with other parts of the plant with different solvents. This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of ethanol leaf extract of psidium guajava on blood glucose and screening the histopathological effect on the pancreatic cells in alloxan induced diabetic wistar rats. II. Materials And Methods 2.1. Plant materials: Psidium guajava leaves were collected from Abia State University Campus and taken to the Department of Biochemistry for air drying, and this process took 7 days to be completed. The leaves were weighed with an electric weighing balance and pulverized into a fine powder and stored ready for use. 2.2 Animals: Wistar albino rats (7-8weeks old) of only the male species were obtained from the animal house of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Enugu State. The animals were fed with standard diet of vital feed Grower Mesh (Pelletised) and water was given to them in a water bottle ad libitum and were kept in cages. After