Zeitschrift für Molekulare Histologie und Medizinische Physiologie

The Prefrontal cortex is the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the cerebral cortex, lying in front of the primary motor and premotor areas of the frontal lobe. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) happens when the body has too low insulin or when the body cannot use it properly and in train. It causes adverse effects resulting to brain tissue acidosis, ischemic, cerebral edema and hemorrhagic stroke. Plant materials have been used for medicinal purposes from time immemorial. Citrus medica is a plant whose extracts are being used to treat various ailments in folk medicine till present day. The ability of Citrus medica extracts to treat these ailments was traced to its constituents, which are flavonoids, vitamins C and E, lectins, phenols, alkaloids, steroids and glycosides. As a step in this direction, this study was carried out on effects of aqueous leaf extract of Citrus medica on Neurobehavioral study of the Prefrontal cortex of hyperglycemic Wistar rats. Forty adult male Wistar rats weighing between 160-200 g were randomly grouped into four consisting of ten rats each viz: A. normal control, B. hyperglycemic only, C. hyperglycemic treated with Citrus medica and D. Citrus medica only. Hyperglycemia was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (70 mg/kg/body weight), freshly dissolved in 0.1 M citrate buffer at pH 4.5. After three days of uninterrupted hyperglycemia (blood glucose ≥250 mg/dl), aqueous leaf extracts of Citrus medica were administered orally at 400 mg/kg body weight daily for six weeks. Neurobehavioral parameters and blood glucose level were recorded weekly. After the sixth week extract of administration, animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. Organ weight was also taken. Data were analysed using excel and Student t-test. p<0.05 was considered significant. The findings of this study showed that the blood glucose level of hyperglycemic+Citrus medica and Citrus medica only group significantly lowered, increase in body weight and relative brain weight were observed relative to the hyperglycemic group. P<0.05. The anxiety level in hyperglycemic+Citrus medica and Citrus medica only were not significantly different to control. P>0.05. Aqueous leaf extract of Citrus medica showed ameliorative potentials on the Prefrontal cortex of adult male Wistar rats against the damage initiated by hyperglycemia.