Phytochemical Analyses and in vitro Anti-Diabetic Activity of Ten Indigenous Plants

Background and Objective: Diabetes is a major global health concern affecting humans worldwide. The people prefer natural remedies to conventional medicines in Nigeria. In our ongoing exploration of indigenous plants to treat endemic diseases, the study investigated ten locally grown vegetables commonly used in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria for the treatment of diabetes mellitus to authenticate their use for the treatment. Materials and Methods: The phytochemicals were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using standard methods; while the anti-diabetic activity was assayed using glucose uptake by yeast method with percentage calculation per extract. Results were statistically analyzed using One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at p>0.05 level. Results: The study indicated the presence of flavonoids, tannins, phenols, alkaloids and saponins in good concentrations in all the plants examined. The results also revealed that there was an increase in glucose uptake by yeast when the ethanol extracts of these plants were introduced. Conclusion: The results indicated the ability of these extracts to enhance glucose utilization showing that they can lower blood glucose levels. This also highlighted their potential use in treating and managing diabetes.