Antilipidaemic studies of mistletoe (loranthus micranthus) leaf extracts on diabetic rats

This study evaluated the anti-lipidaemic effects of mistletoe (Loranthus micranthus) leaves using methanol and aqueous extracts on lipid profiles (triacylglycerols, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, and low density lipoprotein) of white albino Wistar rats in the laboratory. Male Wistar rats were used for this study and they were housed to acclimatize in five different cages according to their groups. Each group contained four animals. Diabetes was induced in rats in all but groups 4 and 5 by the intravenous injection of alloxan monohydrate (90mg/kg) dissolved in normal saline through rat tail vein. Group 1 diabetic rats were treated with 600mg/kg body weight concentration of crude methanol extract of L. micranthus leaves orally. Group 2 diabetic rats were treated with 600mg/kg body weight concentration of crude water extract of L. micranthus leaves orally. Group 3 diabetic rats were treated with 250mg/kg body weight concentration of glibenclamide orally. Group 4 diabetic rats were not treated and served as positive control. Rats in Group 5, which were non-diabetic, received normal saline and served as negative control. The experiments were repeated using different Wistar rats for groups 1, 2, and 4 for the second, third, and fourth weeks. The results of this study showed that both extracts of L. micranthus leaves caused a significant (P<0.05) reduction in fasting lipid levels in diabetic and non-diabetic Wistar rats with the effect of the methanol extract being significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of the aqueous extract.