IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences (IOSR-JPBS) e-ISSN: 2278-3008, p-ISSN:2319-7676. Volume 7, Issue 6 (Sep. – Oct. 2013), PP 63-68 www.iosrjournals.org www.iosrjournals.org 63 | Page Protective Effect of Ethanolic Extract of Gongronema Latifolium Leaves in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats Mafulul, Simon Gabriel*, Luka, Carrol Domkat, Kutshik, Richard Joseph and Ojiakobi, Ukamaka Priscilla Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Jos, P.M.B. 2084, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Abstract: Gongronema latifolium is traditionally used in folk lore medicine for the treatment of various ailments. The effect of ethanolic extract of Gongronema latifolium on body weight, glucose level, lipid profile and hepatic markers was investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. For the investigation, rats were divided into four groups (control, diabetic untreated, diabetic treated with two different doses (200 and 400 mg/kg) extracts of G. latifolium) . The control rats were administered tap water and normal rat diet while alloxan monohydrate in a dose of 150 mg/kg body weight was administered once intraperitoneally to all the groups except control after the rats were confirm to be diabetic, G. latifolium extract in two doses of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg body weight was administered for 14 days to diabetic treated rats goups C and D respectively. The results revealed that treatment with alloxan monohydrate significantly increase (p<0.05) glucose, Serum total cholesterol (TC), total triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and a significant decrease in body weight and high density lipoprotein (HDL) level in diabetic untreated rats when compared with the control. However, treatment with G. latifolium extracts significantly reduces (p<0.05) or reverses the changes caused by alloxan treatment in all examined parameters. This study showed that G. latifolium extracts exerted a hypoglycemic effect; improved the lipid profile in diabetic rats and positively affected integrity and function of both liver and pancreas. Keywords: Alloxan monohydrate, Diabetes, Gongronema latifolium, Lipid profile, Liver marker enzymes I. Introduction Diabetes mellitus is a predominant public health concern, affecting approximately 176 million people worldwide and there are projections that the number of diabetics will exceed 350 million by 2030 [1,2]. The disease causes substantial morbidity, mortality, and long-term complications and remains an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease [3]. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by the presence of chronic hyperglycemia resulting from a deficiency of insulin secretion, abnormalities of insulin action on target tissues, or combining the two [4,5]. It is a disease that occurs when the pancreas produces little or no insulin. An abnormal blood sugar level in the blood reflects an imbalance between the inputs of glucose in the body and good use by the cells of various organs. Prolonged hyperglycemia is now recognized as the primary casual factor in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications because hyperglycemia induces a large number of alterations in vascular tissue that potentially initiate and accelerated some diabetic complications including atherosclerosis [6]. Though the discovery of insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents has helped in the management of diabetes mellitus, the frequent occurrence of side effects and the toxicities as well as their inability to cure the disease have necessitated the search for plant based derivatives for possible use in the treatment of the disease [2]. Also, the current shift away from the use of synthetic chemicals in food processing necessitates a further evaluation of widely available but underutilized tropical medicine which bears low cost, easy availability and has lesser side effects. Hence plant materials are continuously scrutinized and explored for their beneficial effect. The phytochemicals identified from traditional medicinal plants are presenting an exciting opportunity for the development of new types of therapeutics, with accelerated global efforts to harness and harvest those medicinal plants that bear a substantial amount of potential phytochemicals showing multiple beneficial effects in combating diabetes and diabetes-related complications [7,8]. Treatment by herbal medicines may have some advantages over treatment by single purified chemicals; as herbal medicine are the mixtures of more therapeutic or preventive components, and so might have more activity than single products alone. Gongronema latifolium is a plant that is traditionally used for a number of medicinal and nutritional purposes [9]. In Eastern Nigeria, the leaves are used to prepare soup for mothers that have recently put to bed, where it is believed to stimulate appetite, reduce post-partum contraction and enhance the return of the menstrual cycle. The traditional medicine practitioners in this region use Gongronema latifolium as a staple vegetable and spice in the management and treatment of a number of ailments amongst which is diabetes