Corn silk: An antidiabetic agent in alloxan induced diabetic rats

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease with serious complications that leads to increase in the world mortality rate. Corn silk are mostly abandoned by the farmers as waste during corn (Zea mays) harvest. The study aimed to evaluate the phytoconstituents and ameliorative effects of methanol extract of corn silk in alloxan induced diabetic rats. The experimental animals were grouped into five of five animals each, Group I; Non-diabetic treated with normal saline, Group II; diabetic treated with standard drug; Metformin at 100 mg/kg body weight, Group III; diabetic not treated while Group IV and V were diabetic treated with extract at 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight respectively. The fasting blood glucose of the animals were measured and were sacrificed at the day 14th of treatment and blood samples collected were subjected to antioxidant assay. The result obtained showed that there was significant (P< 0.05) decrease in the blood glucose level of animals treated with the extract and standard drug. There was also significant (P< 0.05) increase in the level of SOD and CAT as compared to the negative control, however, a significant reduction in the level of MDA was observed in the treated groups. These suggests that methanol extract of Corn silk may have relevant antidiabetic and antioxidant properties, hence the evaluated studies will be useful for the management of diabetes mellitus.