article · FUDMA Journal of Sciences
A formulated polyherbal syrup combining aqueous extracts of onion, garlic, ginger, bitter leaf, moringa, and honey demonstrates safety and antidiabetic properties in laboratory evaluations. Safety testing in albino rats revealed no mortality or visible signs of toxicity at oral doses up to 16000 mg/kg, indicating an LD50 above this threshold, whilst sub-acute doses of 25 to 400 mg/kg produced no adverse physiological or behavioural changes. In vitro testing showed concentration-dependent antidiabetic activity, including glucose uptake and the inhibition of alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase enzymes. The syrup demonstrated alpha-glucosidase inhibition comparable to the standard drug acarbose, although acarbose showed slightly higher potency overall. Chemical profiling identified multiple bioactive compounds, including thymine, n-hexadecanoic acid, and octadec-9-enoic acid, suggesting that synergistic pharmacological interactions contribute to the observed effects.
Diabetes mellitus is a widespread metabolic condition requiring affordable and safe long-term management options. Natural plant formulations offer a potential source of complementary therapeutics. By confirming the low toxicity and enzyme-inhibiting capabilities of common culinary and medicinal plants, this research provides laboratory evidence supporting further investigation into accessible, plant-based options for blood sugar regulation.
The findings could inform the development of botanical formulations or functional health supplements by pharmaceutical and nutraceutical manufacturers aiming to provide low-cost diabetes management products. Because testing has thus far been limited to in vitro assays and initial animal toxicity evaluations, the syrup is at an early research stage, requiring in vivo efficacy trials, formal formulation standardisation, and clinical trials before commercial deployment.
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Diabetes mellitus remains a major metabolic disorder requiring safer and affordable therapeutic alternatives. This study evaluated the safety profile, in vitro antidiabetic activity, and phytochemical composition of a formulated polyherbal syrup (PHS) prepared from Vernonia amygdalina, Moringa oleifera, Zingiber officinale, Allium cepa, and Allium sativum. Aqueous extracts of onion, garlic, and ginger were obtained by decoction of 20 g powdered samples in 100 mL distilled water at 40 °C for 3 h, while fresh leaves of Moringa oleifera and Vernonia amygdalina were extracted by manual juice expression and filtration. The extracts were combined with honey to produce the polyherbal syrup. Acute toxicity evaluation in albino rats using oral doses of 1000–16000 mg/kg body weight revealed no mortality or visible signs of toxicity, indicating an LD₅₀ greater than 16000 mg/kg. Sub-acute toxicity studies conducted at doses of 25–400 mg/kg also showed no adverse behavioural or physiological changes. In vitro antidiabetic assays revealed that PHS is concentration-dependent. The PHS exhibited IC₅₀ values (µg/mL) of 8.88 for glucose uptake, 2.55 for α-amylase inhibition, and 3.50 for α-glucosidase inhibition, compared with the standard drug acarbose which showed IC₅₀ values of 3.55, 1.89, and 3.39 µg/mL respectively. Although the standard drug showed slightly higher potency, the PHS demonstrated comparable α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. GC–MS profiling revealed numerous bioactive phytochemicals including 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, thymine, n-hexadecanoic acid, and octadec-9-enoic acid. The combined presence of these compounds suggests possible synergistic pharmacological interactions responsible for the observed antidiabetic effects.
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DOI: 10.33003/fjs-2026-1014-5711
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