Justicia carnea

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder marked by persistent hyperglycemia, which progressively impairs multiple organ systems. This study evaluated the histopathological effects of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes on the pancreas, liver, and kidneys of Wistar rats, and also assessed the protective potential of the methanol leaf extract of Justicia carnea. Thirty-six male Wistar rats were assigned to six groups (n = 6). Group 1 served as the normal control, while diabetes was induced in the remaining groups with STZ (50 mg/kg).

Justicia carnea is a medicinal plant used widely in Nigeria as a blood-booster. The toxicity of the extracts of J. carnea was carried out to evaluate its haematological and histopathological effects on Wistar albino rats. The aqueous and ethanol extracts used for this study were obtained using the Soxhlet extraction method. A total of fifteen (15) rats in five treatment groups were used for this study. Different concentrations of the leaf extracts were administered to the animals for fourteen (14) days, after which they were observed for mortality and toxicity.