Restoration of Insulin Productionin Induced Diabetic Rats, by Wakouba an Extract of Local Plant

Background: Wakouba is an extract of a medicinal plant used by the local populations of Côte d'Ivoire for the treatment of diabetes

Aims: Develop a new drug from the medicinal plants of our country Cote d'Ivoire that will be able to treat emerging diseases like diabetes.

Materials and Methods: The antidiabetic effects of wakouba were evaluated in Mice. The decrease as well as the production of insulin were determined by the enzymatic immunometric chemiluminescent method of Raufman and al. in 1992.Blood glucose was also assessed by the Tietz enzymatic method in 1987. Diabetes was induced with streptozotocin (STZ).Histopathological sections studies of the pancreas were made according to the method used by Agbor and et al.

Results: The results show that the production of insulin decreases significantly during the diabetes whereas the same rate increases during the treatment of the diabetic animals by Wakouba. At the same time, blood glucose decreases and normalizes. Besides, Wakouba restores the integrity of the Beta cells of Langerhans cells which had been destroyed during the induction of diabetes by streptozotocin.

Conclusion: Wakouba restores the integrity of the Beta cells of Langerhans cells which had been destroyed during the induction of diabetes by streptozotocin. Wakouba may be responsible for conversion of pancreatic α cells into pancreatic β cells. This may be confirmed by further researches.