Ameliorative effects of aqueous extract of stem bark of Ficus platyphylla Del. Holl on some biological parameters in the high-fat diet and streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes model

Ficus platyphylla is a plant of the Moraceae family, widely used in traditional Cameroonian pharmacopoeia for several pathologies including diabetes mellitus. This work aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic activity of aqueous extract of Ficus platyphylla stem bark (AEFP) in Wistar rats. In fact, a high-fat diet combined with an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg) was used to induce diabetes in male rats. Animals declared diabetic were selected, divided into groups, and treated for 28 days with insulin (175 µg/kg), metformin (40 mg/kg), and AEFP (93, 186, and 372 mg/kg). Parameters such as body weight and water and food consumption, glucose, insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin and hepatic glycogen levels, activities of some hepatic enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism, markers of hepatorenal function, pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative and lipid profiles, and histological examination of the pancreas were evaluated. AEFP increased body weight, glycogen levels, reduced glutathione, total protein, HDL-c, and hemoglobin, as well as glucokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities. In contrast, AEFP reduced food and water intake and glucose, insulin, malondialdehyde, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-c, glycosylated hemoglobin, nitric oxide, urea, uric acid, and creatinine levels. AEFP also decreased transaminase, glucose-6-phosphatase, and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate activities, as well as interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels. These results confirm the hypoglycemic, antioxidant, hypolipidemic and anti-inflammatory effects of AEFP.