Isolation and Structural Characterization of the Most Active Antidiabetic Fraction of Corchorus olitorius Seed Extract

Aims: This study was carried out as a step further in our investigation of the antidiabetic properties of ethanolic seed extract of Corchorus olitorius (ewedu) in the bid to Isolate and Structurally Elucidate the Most Active Antidiabetic Fraction of Corchorus olitorius Seed Extract. Previous studies with the crude extract of the seed had shown positive results.

Study Design: Whole animal experimental research.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmacology, Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, Nigeria between Sept 2008 and July 2013.

Methodology: The chloroform fraction of the liquid-liquid partition of ethanolic seed extract of Corchorus olitorius was subjected through column chromatography (cc) using a thin layer chromatography (TLC) to isolate pure compounds tagged C1, C2 and C3. The antidiabetic effects of the three isolates were tested in alloxan induced diabetic albino rats. Glibenclamide at a dose of 0.2mg/kg and normal saline were used as positive and negative controls respectively

Results: The results showed that there was no statistical significance difference (p >0.05) between the FBS of the treated and the positive control groups. The percentage reduction in fasting blood sugar levels of the diabetic rats produced by the pure compound C2 , C3, and glibenclamide were 17%, 10%, and 18% at the 3rd hour of treatment respectively, and 9.7%, 8.2%, and 14.4% at the 2nd hour respectively. The most active pure compound (C2) which produced a near comparatively similar result with glibenclamide was sent for Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for structural elucidation and confirmed with gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC MS) to be stearic acid ethyl ester.

Conclusion: The percentage reduction in fasting blood sugar level of diabetic rats produced by the C2 column chromatography (cc) fraction of ethanolic seed extract of Corchorus olitorius portrayed a lot of potentials though more evaluations is still needed.