Evaluation of Hypoglycaemic and Antioxidant Activity of Moringa oleifera Root in Normal and Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

Diabetes mellitus is now recognized as a metabolic disorder of multiple etiology which is characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia resulting from absolute or relative deficiency in insulin secretion/insulin action or both. The number of diabetics was 171 million in 2000, which might increase to 360 million in the year 2030. As the number of people with Diabetes mellitus (DM) multiplies worldwide, national and international health care budget increases. The prevalence of diabetes is on the increase globally and in African communities due to the ageing of the population and drastic lifestyle changes accompanying urbanization and westernization. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Nigeria is 1.9% with more than 1.5 million cases. Hence, it represents a growing burden on health care systems of African countries, most of which already face difficult economic conditions. The disease remains incurable and can only be controlled with drugs; hence, a scrupulous control is needed to help reduce hyperglycaemia and the risk of long-term complications, which are known to be the major causes of morbidity and mortality. Despite considerable progress