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Background: The ethnomedicinal use of Ficus exasperata Vahl (Moraceae) in the management of various diseases is popular in most Sub-Saharan African regions. Different parts of the plant have been exploited and used for various local remedies. In this study, the hypoglycemic effect of the aqueous leaf and root bark of Ficus exasperata Vahl (Moraceae) was evaluated using an experimental rat model. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the hypoglycemic effect of the aqueous extract of the leaf and root bark of Ficus exasperata Vahl (Moraceae). Objectives: The chief objective was to determine the hypoglycemic activity of the aqueous extract of the root bark of Ficus exasperata in Wistar albino rats and to determine if there exists a synergy in the hypoglycemic effect between the aqueous extract of the leaf and root bark of the plant, thus justifying its local use. Method: Wistar rats, 100—180g, used for the experiment, were diabetically induced with Alloxan monohydrate. The 40 Wistar rats used for the experiment were divided into six groups (A, B, C, D, E, and F) with 7 animals in each group, except group F, which had only 5. Diabetes was experimentally induced in groups A, B, C, D, and E with a single intraperitoneal administration of Alloxan (150 mg/kg), while group F was administered an equivalent 1ml of distilled water. Group A was treated with aqueous leaf extract (FL) (400 mg/kg/day), group B was treated with aqueous root bark extract (FR) (400 mg/kg/day), group C was treated with a combination of leaf and root bark aqueous extract at a ratio of 1:1 (200 mg: 200 mg/kg/day), and group D was treated with Metformin (150 mg/kg/day), while groups E and F were treated as controls (given only regular food and water). The extracts were administered orally by intragastric intubation, and treatment lasted for three weeks, with the fasting blood sugar measured weekly. Result: At the end of the experimental period, the consecutive treatment of the animals with the leaf and root bark extracts of Ficus exasperata resulted in a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the blood sugar of the test animal groups A (73.4 ± 2.64 mg/dL), B (66 ± 3.29 mg/dL), and C (80 ± 4.29 mg/dL) compared to the control group E (610 ± 15.5 mg/dL) (diabetically induced but not treated). These results also compare favourably with those of animals treated with the standard drug Metformin (150mg/kg/day), group D (57 ± 7.02 mg/dL), and the control group F (74.4 ± 2.54 mg/dL) (not diabetically induced and not treated). Conclusion: The results suggest that the aqueous root extract of Ficus exasperata may have a slightly higher hypoglycemic effect than the aqueous leaf extract of the plant (p < 0.05). More importantly, the result indicates that the combination of the leaf and root extract of Ficus exasperata, as demonstrated in group C (80 ± 4.29 mg/dL) and as commonly used locally, may not hold any advantage over the use of either the leaf, as in group A (73.4 ± 2.64 mg/dL), or root bark extract, as in group B (66 ± 3.29 mg/dL), of the plant.

Keywords: ethnomedicinal; ; diabetes; Wistar rats; Alloxan