Rebalancing hepatic carbohydrate metabolism: Effects of <i>Dalbergiella welwitschii</i> (Baker) Baker f. (Fabaceae) under diabetic conditions

Basiru Olaitan Ajiboye; Sunday Amos Onikanni; Bidemi Emmanuel Ekundayo; Itunu Temitope Oladele; Olaolu Ebenezer Lawal; Taoheed Olawale Bello; Oluwatosin Olalekan Ogedengbe; Odunayo Selimot Adedeji; Muhammad Taher; Junaidi Khotib; Deny Susanti; Marry Abiola Okesola; Babatunji Emmanuel Oyinloye; Sara Vitalini; Marcello Iriti; Basiru Olaitan Ajiboye; Sunday Amos Onikanni; Bidemi Emmanuel Ekundayo; Itunu Temitope Oladele; Olaolu Ebenezer Lawal; Taoheed Olawale Bello; Oluwatosin Olalekan Ogedengbe; Odunayo Selimot Adedeji; Muhammad Taher; Junaidi Khotib; Deny Susanti; Marry Abiola Okesola; Babatunji Emmanuel Oyinloye; Sara Vitalini; Marcello Iriti

doi:10.3934/molsci.2026009

AIMS Molecular Science

2026, Volume 13, Issue 2: 168-179. doi: 10.3934/molsci.2026009

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Research article

Rebalancing hepatic carbohydrate metabolism: Effects of Dalbergiella welwitschii (Baker) Baker f. (Fabaceae) under diabetic conditions

1.
Phytomedicine and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
2.
Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology - LEEx, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
3.
Postgraduate Program in Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil
4.
Phytomedicine, Biochemical Toxicology and Biotechnology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, College of Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
5.
Biochemistry Unit, Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Williams V.S Tubman University, Maryland County, Republic of Liberia
6.
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
7.
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, 25200, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
8.
Pharmaceutics and Translational Research Group, Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, 25200, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
9.
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Airlangga University, 60115, Surabaya, Indonesia
10.
Department of Chemistry, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, 25200, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
11.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, Nigeria
12.
Biotechnology and Structural Biology (BSB) Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa, South Africa
13.
Institute of Drug Research and Development, SE Bogoro Center, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
14.
Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
These authors contributed equally to this work.

Received: 19 October 2025 Revised: 19 March 2026 Accepted: 24 March 2026 Published: 14 April 2026

This study evaluated the effects of an alkaloid-rich leaf extract of Dalbergiella welwitschii (Baker) Baker f. on hepatic carbohydrate metabolism in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in rats, which were then treated with low (50 mg/kg) and high (100 mg/kg) doses of the extract, or metformin (200 mg/kg), for 20 days. Key hepatic enzymes—glycogen phosphorylase, glucose-6-phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, glycogen synthase, and hexokinase—along with hepatic glycogen and insulin levels were measured. Treatment with the extract significantly restored enzyme activities, increased insulin levels, and enhanced glycogen content. These results indicate that D. welwitschii extract can modulate hepatic carbohydrate metabolism and may have potential therapeutic benefits for diabetes management.
- alkaloids,
- diabetes mellitus,
- hepatic enzymes,
- phytotherapy,
- west African blackwood
Citation: Basiru Olaitan Ajiboye, Sunday Amos Onikanni, Bidemi Emmanuel Ekundayo, Itunu Temitope Oladele, Olaolu Ebenezer Lawal, Taoheed Olawale Bello, Oluwatosin Olalekan Ogedengbe, Odunayo Selimot Adedeji, Muhammad Taher, Junaidi Khotib, Deny Susanti, Marry Abiola Okesola, Babatunji Emmanuel Oyinloye, Sara Vitalini, Marcello Iriti. Rebalancing hepatic carbohydrate metabolism: Effects of Dalbergiella welwitschii (Baker) Baker f. (Fabaceae) under diabetic conditions[J]. AIMS Molecular Science, 2026, 13(2): 168-179. doi: 10.3934/molsci.2026009

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Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of an alkaloid-rich leaf extract of Dalbergiella welwitschii (Baker) Baker f. on hepatic carbohydrate metabolism in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in rats, which were then treated with low (50 mg/kg) and high (100 mg/kg) doses of the extract, or metformin (200 mg/kg), for 20 days. Key hepatic enzymes—glycogen phosphorylase, glucose-6-phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, glycogen synthase, and hexokinase—along with hepatic glycogen and insulin levels were measured. Treatment with the extract significantly restored enzyme activities, increased insulin levels, and enhanced glycogen content. These results indicate that D. welwitschii extract can modulate hepatic carbohydrate metabolism and may have potential therapeutic benefits for diabetes management.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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