Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered a metabolic syndrome of many etiologies that is treated currently with many brands of prescribed drugs, each of which has its own set of negative effects. As such, natural alternatives from medical plants are being explored as remedies for treating DM owing to their little or no negative effects on the body. In this work, the effects of combining chloroform peel extract of Punica granatum (Pg) and ethanolic root extract of Eurycoma longifolia (El) at a combined ratio of 2:1 on liver function in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes rats was studied. The Sprague Dawley adult male rats were split into 4 groups (n = 5); The rats in Group 1 were maintained as the normal control; the rats in Group 2 were left untreated following administration of STZ (positive diabetic control); the rats in Group 3 received oral glibenclamide treatment for diabetes following injection of STZ; and the rats in Group 4 received the combined extracts (200 mg/kg of El: Pg at a 2:1 ratio) for 25 consecutive days. The levels of blood glucose and the weights of the body and liver of the rats in each group were measured at the end of the study period. A histological analysis of the liver and an investigation of liver function were conducted. In diabetic rats, the combined El:Pg (2:1) extracts increased the rate of weight loss and levels of fasting blood glucose (p 0.05); the diabetic rats also had reduced liver enzyme (AST, ALP, ALT, and GGT) levels compared to the diabetic control rats (p < 0.05). The histological study showed sinusoidal congestion, severe to moderate vacuolation in the cytoplasm of the liver cells, and minor disarrangement of the hepatic cord in the rats treated with El:Pg combined extract. This study experimentally demonstrated the antihyperglycemic properties of El:Pg (2:1) that may be useful in halting the progression of diabetics via hepatoprotective actions.
KEY WORDS: Diabetes; Streptozotocin; Punica granatum; Eurycoma longifolia; Combined extracts.
ABDULMUNEM, K. O. Hepatoprotective effects of combined extracts of Eurycoma longifolia and Punica granatum in streptozotocin- induced diabetic rats. Int. J. Morphol., 43(4):1186-1195, 2025.
