THE COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF TREATMENT WITH 50 mg/kg HYDROMETHANOL OR 50 mg/kg ACETONE FRACTIONS OF SIMAROUBA GLAUCA ON HEMODYNAMIC INDICES AND GLUCOSE LEVELS OF L-NAME/STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED HYPERTENSIVE/DIABETIC WISTAR RAT

ABSTRACT

Simarouba glauca, also known as the Paradise tree, is valued for its wide range of medicinal benefits, including its ability to fight malaria, reduce oxidative stress, and help regulate blood sugar levels. These effects are largely due to its rich phytochemical content, especially quassinoids. This study aimed to compare how two different extracts of Simarouba glauca— hydro-methanol and acetone—affect blood pressure and blood sugar levels in hypertensive and diabetic Wistar rats. Adult male Wistar rats were made hypertensive and diabetic using streptozotocin and L-NAME. The results showed that rats treated with 50 mg/kg of the acetone extract experienced significant improvements in body weight, lower fasting blood sugar, and better regulation of systolic blood pressure when compared to those given the hydro-methanol extract. Whereas those treated with 50 mg/kg of the hydro-methanol extract experienced significant improvements in diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure and heart rate when compared to those given the acetone extract. These findings suggest that the hydro-methanol extract of Simarouba glauca could be especially useful in managing hypertension and that of acetone extract useful in managing diabetes, making it a promising natural treatment worth further exploration.