Abstract

Objective: To quantify some major pharmacologically important flavonoids and phenolic acids in Brachystegia eurycoma seed flour (BESF) and evaluate its antidiabetic activity in type 2 diabetic rats. Method: Flavonoids and phenolic acids were quantified using a reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatrography coupled with diode array detection. Type 2 diabetes was induced in rats using high-fat diet, low-dose streptozotocin (HFD/STZ) model, by feeding the rats with HFD for 2 weeks followed by single dose administration of STZ (40 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally). The diabetic rats were later fed BESF-supplemented (10% and 20%) diets, or administered with metformin (25 mg/kg b.w.) for 21 days; the control rats were fed basal diet during this period. After the dietary regimen, the rats were sacrificed, and their blood, liver and pancreas samples were collected for biochemical assays. Results: The flavonoids (catechin, rutin, quercitrin, quercetin and kaempferol) and phenolic acids (gallic acid, caffeic, chlorogenic and ellagic acid) were abundant in BESF. BESFsupplemented diets (BESF-SD) significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG); ameliorated the lipid profile, and significantly (P < 0.05) increased the hepatic glycogen of the diabetic rats. BESF-SD also significantly (P < 0.05) attenuated the oxidative stress induced by STZ in the liver and pancreas of the diabetic rats. The ameliorative effects of 20% BESF-SD compared (P > 0.05) with metformin administration in some of the biomarkers. Conclusion: The flavonoids and phenolic acids in BESF may have acted synergistically to produce the observed antidiabetic effects. BESF could therefore be an effective and affordable dietary therapy for the management of T2DM; and an excellent source for drug discovery.

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