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ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to investigate the effect of lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) aqueous extract on blood glucose, weight gain/loss and serum lipids in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Forty-five (45) male Wistar rats weighing 80-120g body weight were used in this study and divided into four groups with 10 rats in Normal Control (NC), 5 rats in Normal Treated (NT), 15 rats in Diabetic Control (DBC) and 15 rats in Diabetic Treated (DBT). Normal treated rats and diabetic treated rats were administered 400mg/kg body weight of lemon grass aqueous extract. Diabetes mellitus was induced into the rats by intra-peritoneal (IP) injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 45mg/kg body weight) except in Normal control and Normal treated groups. At the end of the experiment, glucose levels, body weight, total cholesterol levels and triglycerides levels were assayed. From the results, lemon grass aqueous extract administration at a dose of 400mg/kg body weight for a period of 21 days was able to significantly (p<0.05) reduce blood glucose levels, triglycerides levels and cholesterol levels in diabetic treated rats and normal treated rats when compared against their respective controls. According to these results, traditional usage of lemon grass leaves aqueous extract for the management of diabetes mellitus is validated, also causing hypoglycemia in normal rats and reducing body weight non-significantly (P>0.05).
