ANTI DIABETIC EFFECTS OF THE COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) HUSK EXTRACT
*Emojevwe Victor and Jeroh E.
Department of Physiology
Delta State University, Abraka, Delta state Nigeria
E-mail: emojevwevictor@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The Anti-diabetic effects of Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Husk was studied on 21 alloxan-induced diabetic rats which were randomly grouped into three (n=7). Group I served as control while group II and III served as experimental groups. The rats were made diabetic by intraperitoneal administration of 150 mg/kg of alloxan. The extract was obtained by cooking the husk in boiling water for 45 minutes in a gas stove flame at a 100 degree Celsius and the fluid was filtered out and kept as the tea for the experiment. The control group was given 2 ml of 0.9% (normal) saline daily, group II was given 2 ml of the coconut husk tea only daily, group III was given 1g of Daonil and 4g of Mephomine daily by Oro-gastric tube and random blood sugar was measured daily in the rats. The weights of the rats were checked daily using a digital electronic weighing balance. At the end of the experiments the animals were sacrificed and the pancreas harvested and histopathological slides made. In the treated diabetic rats, blood glucose levels were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) on consumption of the extracts and the drugs with greatest effect exhibited by the Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Husk extract. The Histopathological study showed same regenerative ability in the rats that received the extracts (coconut husk tea) and those that received Daonil and Metformine. It was therefore concluded that cocos nucifera (coconut) husk tea has a significant hypoglycemic and anti-diabetic effects in alloxan-induced diabetes. This effect is comparable to that of the combination of Daonil and Metformine, and could serve as an effective adjunct in the management of diabetes mellitus. It is therefore recommended that a study of this nature be done using human subjects.
Keywords: Diabetics mellitus, coconut husk, Cocos Nucifera, alloxan