Potential Use of Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) Leaf Extract to Recover Hepatic and Renal Damage in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

The antihyperglycemic effect of breadfruit leaf (Artocarpus altilis)
extract has been demonstrated in a preclinical study using an alloxaninduced diabetic model. This study aimed to examine whether
breadfruit leaf extract also ameliorated liver and kidney injury in
alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Male Wistar rats (n=35) were used
in the study. All other animals except control group (group I, n=5)
were injected with alloxan (155 mg/kg body weight). After 3 days,
the hyperglycemic rats with blood glucose >200 mg/dl were divided
into 4 treatment groups: placebo (alloxan group), Breadfruit Leaf
(BL) extract 100 mg/kg, BL extract 200 mg/kg, and BL extract 400
mg/kg. Treatments were administered daily for 14 days, and blood
samples were drawn at baseline, after alloxan injection, and following
treatments to obtain serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT)
and creatinine levels. Alloxan was found to cause a significant
increase in rat blood glucose, SGPT, and creatinine levels three days
post alloxan injection (P<0.01). After treatment, rats that received
200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg BL extracts had significantly lower SGPT
levels compared to those treated with placebo alone (P<0.05). Liver
histological damage was also significantly alleviated, especially with
the 400 mg/kg dose of BL extract. Although serum creatinine level
was restored, alloxan-induced tubular degeneration in renal tissue
was still evident. In conclusion, BL extract at a dose of 400 mg/
kg improved alloxan-induced liver dysfunction and tissue damage
but was less effective at alleviating kidney damage. This result may
support the use of breadfruit leaf extract as herbal drug with a
hepatoprotective effect.