Effect of methanol/methylene chloride extract of Terminalia glaucescens

Effect of methanol/methylene chloride extract of Terminalia glaucescens
leaves on glucose level, weight gain and lipids parameters on normal mice.

GBS Nya Njomen¹, R Kamgang^1*, PR Nkomo Soua¹, JL Essame Oyono², Njifutie Njikam¹.

¹General Endocrinology and Metabolism Systems (GEMS), Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaounde 1, Cameroon

²Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde 1 and IMPM - Yaounde, Cameroon

*For correspondence: GEMS, Laboratory of Animal Physiology, University of Yaounde I, P. O. Box 8127 Yaounde - Cameroon.

Tel: [phone] - E-Mail: [e-mail]

Running title: Terminalia glaucescens and obesity parameters

Abstract

Terminalia glaucescens is traditionally used to improve obesity conditions. This study aimed to assess the effect of the leaves extract of that plant on obesity parameters on normal mice. During 30 days mice were treated with methanol/methylene chloride extract of T glaucescens leaves (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight). We have investigated the effect on body weight gain, food and water intakes, fat pad weight, blood glucose and lipids parameters levels. he methanol/methylene chloride extract of T glaucescens leaves, in dose dependant manner, significantly (P< 0.0 1) reduced adipose tissue mass and decreased body weight gain. The extract has increased the glucose tolerance, lowered blood levels of leptin, triglycerides, NEFA and total cholesterol (P< 0.05); tended to enhance HDL cholesterol and to decrease LDL cholesterol levels. The metabolic efficiency was markedly reduced (P< 0.05). These results indicate that the methanol/methylene chloride extract of T glaucescens leaves could have anti-obesity and could prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Key words: Terminalia glaucescens, Obesity, Leptin, Lipids, Mouse.

Introduction

Because of the increasing of obesity and related diseases, obesity is recognized as a major public health problem in industrialized as well as in developing countries, and the factors that regulate white adipose tissue are of great interest. An excess of body fat predisposes to the development of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, especially when concentrated within the abdomen. Classified as a disease, obesity diminishes both quality of life and life expectancy. The metabolic deregulation ultimately may lead to complications such as diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and some types of cancer¹. The number of drugs approved for the treatment of obesity is very limited compared to other multifactorial diseases such as hypertension. This situation urged scientists to elucidate the mechanisms of adipose tissue development and to find natural substances able to antagonize excessive fat deposition. Medicinal products obtained from a variety of plants are

currently being used in the treatment of many diseases. Amongst the natural substances inhibiting fat deposition, recent studies gave pride of place to flavonoids, a group of polyphenolic products ubiquitously present in the plant kingdom². Flavonoids exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipid lowering effects3, ⁴. In Cameroon, Terminalia glaucescens (Combretaceae) is claimed to be useful in the treatment of obesity, diabetes mellitus and some bacteria diseases. The preliminary phytochemical screening of T glaucescens extract revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids and saponosides⁵. Although many plants have certain medical benefits to humans, many of these claims are unproven scientifically.

The objective of the present study was to test in vivo the effect of Terminalia glaucescens extract on some obesity parameters such as white adipose tissue growth and lipids parameters in adult mice.