Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology

The ethanol extract of Citrus maxima fruit peel was evaluated for its hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic activity in normal and Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats, using fasting and glucose tolerance test measurements. Experiments were performed using Thirty-Two Male Wister albino rats randomly divided into 4 groups and each group have 8 animals. Group1 assigned as a control injected with normal saline only. Group 2 assigned as a diabetic control injected with Streptozotocin 50mg/Kg, Group 3 assigned for diabetic + Citrus maxima in a dose of 400mg/Kg, Group 4 is assigned for the diabetic + Citrus maxima in a dose of 600mg/Kg. The Streptozotocin is injected intraperitonially to all animal in the groups except the control group. Blood samples were collected from animal before and at 21th day end of the study period. Body weight, blood glucose, serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and HDL cholesterol were analysed using diagnostic kits. Serum was separated from blood samples collected. In addition oral glucose tolerance test was performed in overnight fasted control animals. Results showed that Citrus maxima extract possesses significant antidiabetic activity against streptozotocin induced diabetic rats by decreasing blood glucose levels, maintaining body weight, and serum lipid concentrations to approximate normal level. Furthermore, the extract of the title plant possesses dose dependent antidiabetic activity.