Effect of Oral Administration of Ethyl Acetate Leaf Extract of Gliricidia sepium on Blood Glucose and Liver Function Parameters in Wistar Rats

Abstract

Introduction: Gliricidia sepium is a multipurpose leguminous plant of considerable commercial and medicinal importance. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of oral administration of ethyl acetate leaf extract of Gliricidia sepium on blood glucose and liver function parameters in Wistar rats. Study Design: This is a completely randomized controlled experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Animal House of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Chemical Pathology Laboratory of the School of Medical Laboratory Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, between May 2024 and October 2025. Methodology: Acute oral toxicity was assessed using Lorke’s method. Nine (9) male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups of three rats each. In phase one, groups I, II, and III received 10, 100, and 1000 mg/kg body weight of the extract, respectively. In phase two, three rats received single oral doses of 1600, 2900, and 5000 mg/kg body weight, respectively. For the sub-chronic toxicity study, forty-eight (48) adult Wistar rats (24 males and 24 females) were randomly assigned into four groups of twelve rats each (6 males and 6 females). Group I received 1 mL of normal saline, while Groups II, III, and IV received 500, 1000, and 1500 mg/kg body weight of the extract, respectively, for 28 consecutive days. After treatment, rats were fasted overnight, anesthetized, and blood samples were collected for analysis of blood glucose and liver function parameters. The rats were dissected and liver organ was harvested for histology. Results: The acute toxicity study revealed that the oral LD₅₀ of the extract was greater than 5000 mg/kg body weight. Sub-chronic administration of the extract did not produce any significant changes (p > 0.05) in blood glucose, AST, ALT, ALP, total protein, total bilirubin, conjugated bilirubin, or GGT levels in treated groups compared with the control group. The histopathological evaluation revealed no adverse morphological changes in the liver. Conclusion: The findings suggest that oral administration of ethyl acetate leaf extract of Gliricidia sepium at normal therapeutic doses is relatively safe and does not induce hepatotoxicity or alter glucose metabolism in Wistar rats.