Acute Toxicity Analysis and Antidiabetic Effect of the Moroccan Spider Flower (Cleome Arabica L.) in Normal and Sreptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Aims: The study aimed to assess the antihyperglycemic effect of Cleome arabica. Background: Cleome arabica L. or spider flower belongs to the Capparidaceae family and it is used for treating inflammation and diabetes mellitus in traditional medicine. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the antihyperglycemic activity and acute toxicity of the aqueous extract of Cleome arabica L (CAAE). Methods: The acute toxicity of CAAE was evaluated at doses of 500, 1000, or 2000 mg/kg. Parallelly, body weight, signs of toxicity, and/or mortality were observed for 14 days. The effect of oral administration of Cleome arabica aqueous extract (CAAE) at a dose of 100 mg/kg on glycemia was performed in normal and diabetic rats. Additionally, histopathological structure of the liver, phytochemical screening and in vitro antioxidant activity were studied. Results: The acute toxicity test revealed that all treated rats survived, and no change in body weight was observed. The results demonstrated that CAAE exhibited a significant antihyperglycemic effect in diabetic rats. Furthermore, the plant extract ameliorated the liver histology in diabetic rats with a concomitant antioxidant activity. Conclusion: This study shows that Cleome arabica is partly safe, and its LD50 seems to be greater than 5000 mg/kg. Cleome Arabica has a favorable effect against diabetes, which could be due to the presence of numerous secondary metabolites and by the protection of hepatocytes.