Bioactive Constituents, Hypoglycemic, Antioxidative and Hypolipidemic Potentials of Tridax procumbens Plant Leaf Diets in Experimental Rats

Background and Objective: The Tridax procumbensplant also known as tridax daisy, a herbaceous plant with white and yellow flowers Flowers and leaves with serrated margins found in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world grows with annual crops, along roadsides, and waste areas. Trado-medically, the leaves of the Tridax procumbensplant are used in the treatment of several ailments: Malaria, high blood pressure and diabetes. However, limited data exist on the scientific basis for these folkloric claims. This study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical bioactives in the leaf of the Tridax procumbens plant, to confirm and document the scientific basis for the use of the leaf as an hypoglycemic agent. Materials and Methods: The Tridax procumbensleaf was screened for the presence of phytochemical bioactives and phenolics were identified and quantified using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode-Array Detection (HPLC-DAD). Hyperglycemia induced streptozotocin (STZ) which resulted in significant (p<0.05) increase in blood glucose levels in male experimental rats was reversed by the inclusion of Tridax procumbens leaf in their diets with a concomitant significant increase (p<0.05) in antioxidant enzymes activities and inhibition of MDA production. Futhermore, there was a significant decrease (p<0.05) in tissue and serum total cholesterol and the activities of pancreatic amylase and intestinal glucosidase were inhibited compared to those of the diabetic untreated control. Results: Phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of saponins, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, and phenols in the leaf. HPLC-DAD revealed phenolics such as quercetin, kaemferol, rutin, chlorogenic acd acid and coumarin. The inclusion of Tridax procumbens leaf in experimental diets led to a significant decrease (p<0.05) in blood glucose levels of hyperglycemic rats, increase in antioxidant enzymes activities, HDL cholesterol level and inhibition of MDA production. Also, there was a significant decrease (p<0.05) in the activities of pancreatic amylase and intestinal glucosidase compared to the diabetic control which signify delay in carbohydrate digestion and eventual diabetes control. Conclusion: The Tridax procumbens plant leaf holds promise as a rich source of an array of phytochemical compounds with significant medicinal potentials which could serve as alternative phytotherapetic agent for the prevention and management of hyperglycemia in diabetes and other oxidative stress related disorders.