J Food Biochem. 2019;00:e13065. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jfbc | 1 of 6 https://doi.org/10.1111/jfc.13065 © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 1 | INTRODUCTION According to Tiwari, Pandey, Abidi, and Rizvi (2013), accumulation of oxidative stress in an individual may trigger a series of diseases, especially type II diabetes mellitus, characterized by hyperglycemia. Persistent hyperglycemia causes an abnormal increase in reactive oxygen species, which encourage discrepancy in the antioxidant system of people with diabetes mellitus. This is implicated in the progression of type II diabetes mellitus, leading to diabetes mellitus complications (Constantino et al., 2013). Currently, all the available type II diabetes mellitus drugs are connected with hypoglycemia, vomiting, headache, and cardiovascu‐ lar complications among others as reported by Sanni et al. (2019). Therefore, there is a necessity to search for another therapy with no or limited side effects. In lieu of this, Ojo, Ajiboye, Olayide, Fadaka, and Olasehinde (2016) documented the use of medicinal plant as substitute therapy with an insignificant side effect. One such plant is Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, a family of Euphorbiaceae, known as Chaya in most communities. In Nigeria, this plant is consumed either as veg‐ etable soups or salads (Ajiboye, Ojo, Okesola, Oyinloye, & Kappo, Received: 20 July 2019 | Revised: 3 September 2019 | Accepted: 15 September 2019 DOI: 10.1111/jfbc.13065 FULL ARTICLE Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I. M. Johnst leaf extract prevents oxidative hepatic injury and improves muscle glucose uptake ex vivo Basiru Olaitan Ajiboye 1 | Babatunji Emmanuel Oyinloye 1,2 | Precious Eseose Agboinghale 1 | Oluwafemi Adeleke Ojo 1,3 1 Phytomedicine and Nutraceutical Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, College of Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado‐Ekiti, Nigeria 2 Biotechnology and Structural Biology (BSB) Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa, South Africa 3 Department of Biochemistry, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria Correspondence Basiru Olaitan Ajiboye, Phytomedicine and Nutraceutical Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, College of Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado‐Ekiti, Ekiti, Nigeria. Email: bash1428@yahoo.co.uk Abstract Total phenol, total flavonoid, and ameliorative potentials of aqueous leaf extract of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius in Fe 2+ ‐induced oxidative stress in hepatic tissue and muscle glu‐ cose uptake using ex vivo models were assessed. These were carried out using standard procedures. The results revealed that the extract showed the presence of total phenol and total flavonoid, as well as free radicals scavenging abilities in a dose‐dependent manner. Also, the aqueous leaf extract of C. aconitifolius enhanced Fe 2+ ‐induced oxidative injury in hepatic tissue by considerably reducing the concentration of lipid peroxidation, with improvement in the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase in a dose‐dependent manner. In addition, the extract enhanced glucose uptake in psoas muscle. It can be de‐ duced from this study that the extract might be beneficial to people with diabetes mellitus. Practical applications Aqueous leaf extract of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius displayed the presence of total phe‐ nol and total flavonoid, as well as an increase in free radical scavenging activities in a dose‐dependent manner. The plant extract also improved Fe 2+ ‐induced oxidative injury in hepatic tissue by decreasing lipid peroxidation concentration, improved the activities of catalase as well as superoxide dismutase, with enhancement in glucose uptake of psoas muscle in a dose‐dependent manner. KEYWORDS catalase, Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, Fe 2+ ‐induced, superoxide dismutase