Liver Function Responses to Ethanol Extracts of Chia Seed (Salvia hispanica L.) and Tiger Nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

Abstract

Hepatic dysfunction is a frequent complication of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, driven largely by hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress. This study investigated the effect of ethanol extracts of chia seed (Salvia hispanica), tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus), and their combination on liver function parameters in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Sixty-three male Wistar rats were assigned to nine groups (n = 7): normal control (A), diabetic untreated (B), diabetic + 100 mg/kg metformin (C), diabetic + 150 or 300 mg/kg chia seed extract (D, E), diabetic + 150 or 300 mg/kg tiger nut extract (F, G), and diabetic + 150 or 300 mg/kg chia–tiger nut combination (H, I). Diabetes was induced with a single intraperitoneal dose of 160 mg/kg alloxan monohydrate, and treatments were given by oral gavage for 21 days. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), direct bilirubin, and total bilirubin were determined at the end of treatment. Diabetic untreated rats (Group B) showed the most deranged liver profile, with ALT rising to about 24.7 IU/L and AST to about 26.7 IU/L, compared with 14.3 IU/L and 13.3 IU/L in the normal control, alongside elevated ALP and bilirubin. Rats given 300 mg/kg chia seed, tiger nut, or their combination (Groups E, G, and I), as well as 150 mg/kg tiger nut (Group F), maintained liver enzyme and bilirubin values close to the normal control, while the 150 mg/kg chia and combination groups (D, H) showed intermediate, only partly normalised values. These findings indicate that ethanol extracts of chia seed and tiger nut possess hepatoprotective potential in alloxan-induced diabetes, most consistent at 300 mg/kg body weight.