Abstract
Background: Diabetes mellitus has assumed epidemic proportion, its incidence is continuously increasing although of that estimates are imprecise, only providing a rough picture, and probably underestimate the disease burden. There were about 150 million cases estimated in the year 2000 which rose to 422 million people worldwide in 2020 according to the World Health Organization statistics. Medicinal plants such as Schouwia schimperi are one of many traditional treatments used in folk medicine by the people of Eastern Sudan for diabetes mellitus but have not been studied or evaluated scientifically.

Aims and Objectives: This study evaluates the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effect of S. schimperi ethanol extract and compares it with standard glibenclamide in glucose loaded rats and streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

Materials and Methods: Diabetes mellitus was experimentally induced in rats by subcutaneous injection of streptozotocin at a dose of 60 mg/kg. S. schimperi ethanol extract was given orally at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg and compared with control (2 ml distilled water) and standard (Glibenclamide 10 mg/kg). The same doses were given to glucose loaded diabetic rats as a model for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Results: The 200 mg/kg dose significantly lowered the plasma glucose levels in glucose loaded rats by 31% 2 h after the glucose load (P < 0.05) and by 68% in comparison to the negative control, the 400 mg/kg dose reduced plasma glucose levels by 33% in comparison to negative control (P < 0.05). Reductions in plasma glucose levels were 33.12% and 12.34% after 4 h of the glucose load for the 200 mg/kg and the 400 mg/kg doses respectively. In streptozotocin diabetic rats no significant reductions in plasma glucose levels were seen. However, strong hypocholesterolemic effect was seen after 3 h for both of the 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg doses by 85.4% (P < 0.05) and 88.2% (P < 0.05), respectively, and by 89.97% (P < 0.001) and 90.6% (P < 0.001) respectively 6 h after oral administration.

Conclusion: Our study concludes that S. schimperi extract has a favorable effect in reducing plasma glucose in glucose loaded rats and excellent hypolipidemic effects.

Key words: Antidiabetic; Hypoglycemia; Shouwia schimperi; Streptozotocin; Glibenclamide; Rats