Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder caused by either the total destruction of the pancreatic beta cells that secrete insulin for the uptake of glucose from the circulation or as a result of the inability of body cells to respond to the presence of insulin in the blood. The present study investigated the effect of a flavonoid-rich fraction of Monodora tenuifolia seed extract (FFMTSE) on blood parameters in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic male Wistar rats. The rats were divided into seven groups (n = 6). Group 1: normal control rats, Group 2: rats + FFMTSE (25 mg/kgbwt), Group 3: rats + FFMTSE (50 mg/kgbwt), Group 4: diabetic control rats, Group 5: diabetic rats + FFMTSE (25 mg/kgbwt), Group 6: diabetic rats + FFMTSE (50 mg/kgbwt), and Group 7: diabetic rats + Metformin. The assessment of the lipid profile, kidney functions (urea and creatinine), and cardiac biomarkers (LDH and CK-MB) were carried out in the plasma using established protocols. The results showed a significant increase in the concentrations of triacylglycerol, cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, VLDL-cholesterol, urea, and creatinine, as well as in cardiac enzyme activities in diabetic rats. However, the administration of the FFMTSE significantly improved the observed biochemical parameters. In addition, an increased concentration of HDL-cholesterol concentration was observed in the diabetic rats upon treatment with FFMTSE. These findings indicate that FFMTSE could be a potent anti-nephropathy and anti-cardiomyopathy agent in diabetic conditions.
Keywords: M. tenuifolia; cardiac functions; diabetes mellitus; kidney functions; lipid profile.