ABSTRACT
Despite important progress in the management of diabetes using synthetic drugs, many traditional plant treatments
are still being used throughout the world.
The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of ethanol leaf extract of Chrysophyllum albidum on the
histology of the pancreas of STZ-induced diabetic rats. Thirty rats divided into six groups (n=5). Groups I and II
received only normal saline; group III received 2 mg/kg of glibenclamide; groups IV, V and VI received 125, 250,
and 500 mg/kg/day of ethanolic leave extracts of C. albidum respectively. With the exception of group I, animals in
groups II-VI was challenged with 50 mg/kg of streptozotocin intraperitoneally after two weeks of oral
administration of normal saline, extract and glibenclamide. Administration of normal saline, extract and
glibenclamide was continued for another two weeks. The animals were fasted overnight before sacrifice on day 14th
and the pancreas was harvested for histological assessment. The results histologically demonstrated the recovery of
damaged islets and an improvement in the number of islet cells after treatment with C. albidum extract which was
dose dependent and 500 mg/kg/day, was the effective dose. It can thus be assumed that C. albidum leaf extract
protect the pancreatic islet cells; could therefore be effective in the management of diabetes mellitus