Abstract
This work investigated the bioactive constituents, toxicology and anti-diabetic effect of Picralima nitida aqueous seed extract using rat model. Qualitative and Quantitative analysis was carried out to identify the bioactive constituents present in the Picralima nitida aqueous seed extract. The bioactive constituents were determined using a variant 3800/4000 gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) machine. Lorke’s method was used to determine the acute toxicity of the aqueous extracts of P.nitida seed. Cold maceration technique was also used in the preparation of the Picralima nitida seed extracts. The phytochemical analysis revealed 8 bioactive constituents with saponins being the most abundant and active. Acute toxicity study depicts that the lethal dose of aqueous extracts of Picralima nitida seed is above 5000 mg/kg as no mortality was recorded in the oral administration of 10, 100, 1000, 1600, 2900, and 5000 mg/kg of aqueous extracts. Sub-acute toxicity results indicated no significant adverse effects on kidney and liver function, although some variations in biochemical parameters were observed. Histological analysis showed normal renal and hepatic structure in treated animals. Hypoglycaemic study of aqueous extract of Picralima nitida seed on diabetic wistar rats shows that the aqueous extract have anti-diabetic properties. This study demonstrated that aqueous extracts of P nitida seed show no acute toxicity suggesting they are safe for consumption at the tested doses. The study also suggests that several phytochemicals in Picralima nitida have been linked to glucose level reduction, including alkaloids, saponins, and flavonoids.