Chronic administration of tetrahydrofuran extracts of Cochlospermum vitifolium (Wild) Sprengel in a mouse diabetes model: Hypoglycemic, antioxidant, and genoprotective effects

Diabetes and its complications represent a major global health burden, contributing to rising mortality rates, escalating healthcare costs, and an increasing prevalence worldwide. This has driven renewed interest in traditional medicine as a complementary approach to disease management. Cochlospermum vitifolium (Wild) Sprengel, a medicinal plant traditionally used to treat kidney pain, liver disorders (including hepatitis C and jaundice), and metabolic syndrome, has demonstrated promising antidiabetic potential. Previous studies report hypoglycemic effects in both in vitro and short-term in vivo models. In this study, we evaluated the hypoglycemic activity of tetrahydrofuran (THF) extracts from C. vitifolium heartwood and bark in mice over a six-week period (500 mg/kg dose). The heartwood extract exhibited notable antioxidant activity, scavenging over 50 % of DPPH radicals at 3.2 mg/mL, while the bark extract showed higher potency at 1.5 mg/mL. Both extracts demonstrated genoprotective effects at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg, mitigating damage from mutagenic agents. Notably, the heartwood extracts significantly reduced blood glucose levels from > 300 mg/dL to < 100 mg/dL, whereas the bark extract had no significant hypoglycemic effect. These findings suggest that C. vitifolium extracts, particularly from the heartwood, may modulate oxidative stress-related pathways implicated in chronic degenerative diseases such as diabetes. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and long-term safety profile of these extracts.