Abstract

The management of blood glucose level is critical in the treatment of diabetes and this had been offered by α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors. Hence, the antidiabetic effects of ethanolic extract of Cocos nucifera husk (CoCoH) was investigated by evaluating the ameliorating effect on glucose concentration as well as its inihibitory properties towards carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes. Type 2 diabetes was induced into 100 female Wistar rats by the intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin (40mg/kg) following 8 weeks of high fat diet (HFD) feeding. The ethanolic extract of CoCoH at doses of 125, 250, 500, 750 and 1000mg/kg body weight was administered to the diabetic-induced rats at a single dose per day for 21 days. The ethanolic extract inhibited the activities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase in vitro and in vivo. The results also revealed that the extract reduced (p≤0.05) blood glucose levels similar to that of the reference drug, metformin. Consequently, the extract showed inhibitory activity on glucose-6-phosphatase at all concentrations except at 1000mg/kg. Hence, inhibitions of α-amylase, α-glucosidase and glucose-6-phosphatase activities may be some of the mechanisms by which ethanolic extract of CoCoH exerts antihyperglycemic activity and thus indicates that CoCoH can be considered for the management of type 2 diabetes.

Key words: Diabetes, Disaccharidases, glucose, hyperglycemia, obesity