Effect of Imperata Cylindrica Roots Extracts on some Cardiovascular Parameters of Diabetic Wistar Rats

Imperata cylindrica is claimed to be of use for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders and diabetes mellitus among other ailments in some cultural settings and this study analyzed the effect of treatment with aqueous extract of Imperata cylindrica root on body weight, fasting blood sugar and lipid profile of diabetic Wistar rats; which are closely associated with many cardiovascular disorders. The hypoglycaemic effect of Imperata cylindrica root aqueous extract (AICR) was evaluated with Alloxan induced diabetic rats. 150mg/kg body weight dose of Alloxan Monohydrate was injected IP on 80 Wistar rats and 48 of them were selected with a FBS level above 200mg/dl. These were placed into 6 groups of eight rats each: Non-Diabetic Rats Treated with Distilled Water, Diabetic Control: Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats Treated with Distilled Water, Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats Treated with AICR (200mg//Kg), Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats Treated with AICR (400mg/Kg), Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats Treated with AICR (600mg/Kg) and Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats Treated with Glibenclamide (0.5 Mg/Kg). Treatment was carried out for 28 days by intragastric administration. The body weight, blood glucose levels and Lipid profile were recorded on the 1st and 28th day of study. Induction of diabetes mellitus resulted in significantly reduced weight which was reversed by treatment with Imperata cylindrica root extract with an increased mean value of 149.9±9.949 to 159.4±3.905, 142.9±9.915 to 153.5±5.292 and 139.5±3.128 to 149.0±5.593 for the groups treated with 200, 400 and 600mg/kg body weight respectively. The extracts also reversed the hyperglycaemia resulting from treatment with Alloxan monohydrate with a decreased mean value of 211.40±2.61 to 132.60±4.76, 212.6±3.93 to 117.50±7.69 and 212.6±3.27 to 151.50±10.05 for the groups treated with 200, 400 and 600mg/ kg body weight respectively. Induction of diabetes mellitus resulted in significantly reduced serum lipid levels (P < 0.01) but intragastric administration of Imperata cylindrica root extract (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight per day) to the groups of diabetic and hypercholesterolaemic rats for 28 days lowered their serum Total Cholesterol (TC), Triglycerides (TG) and Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL) significantly (P < 0.001), while the serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) level was also raised within this period of treatment. Hyperlipidaemia and diabetes mellitus are implicated in some cardiovascular ailments and with the side effects of existing anti diabetic and lipid lowering drugs, there is a greater need for safer, more potent drugs that can reduce blood glucose with decrease in both low density lipoprotein cholesterol and Triglycerides which may be found in Imperata cylindrica roots.