(P07-008-24) Nutrient and Hypoglycemic Effect of Carica papaya Seed Flour on Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Adult Male Wistar Rat

Objectives: Papaya seed is valued for its traditional medicinal uses. This study explored the proximate and hypoglycemic potentials of Carica papaya seed flour on alloxan-induced diabetic adult male Wistar rats.

Methods: Seeds were collected from freshly ripe Carica papaya fruits, sundried and milled into flour. Proximate analysis was done on the papaya seed flour using standard methods. 150 mg/kgBW of alloxan was used to induce diabetes in the thirty-six (36) male Wistar rats used for the study. Intervention commenced after the establishment of diabetes with 400, 800 and 1200 mg/kgBW doses of sample. Interventions were done orally through oral gavage for an experimental period of 20 days while the rats were allowed to fed on chow and water ad libitum. The rats were grouped into A, B, C, D, E and F with six (6) rats each. Group A, B & C served as control. Group A was fed on rat chow only (negative control) while group B was induced with diabetes but not treated throughout the experimental period (positive control). Group C also known as standard group was induced with diabetes and treated with standard diabetic drug (metformin). Group D, E and F served as experimental groups and were fed on the Papaya seed flour sample with doses as 400 mg/kgBW, 800 mg/kgBW and 1200 mg/kgBW respectively. Blood samples for fasting blood glucose test were collected from the tail tip of the rats after ten hours fasting and was checked using Accu-answer glucometer. The blood glucose levels of the rat groups before and after intervention were obtained and analyzed statistically using ANOVA and paired sample T-test of SPSS version 22 with a significant difference set at p < 0.05.

Results: The proximate analysis showed that moisture, ash, crude protein, fiber, fat and carbohydrate were 30.20, 8.06, 21.10, 2.78, 18.30 and 19.56% respectively. Diabetic rats treated with papaya seed flour at doses of 400, 800, 1200 mg/kgBW and Metformin (5mg/kgBW) showed 34.25%, 63.87%, 76.33% and 60.83% significant decreases in blood glucose levels while the control groups (A & B) had no significant decrease (15.02% and -28.79%) in blood glucose level.

Conclusions: The study found that papaya seed flour has hypoglycemic potential, as diabetic rats treated with 400-1200 mg/kgBW showed a significant reduction in blood glucose levels compared to control groups.

Funding Sources: This study received no external funding.