Abstract

Ganoderma lucidum mushroom has long been used as a potent medicinal plant in the far East, but its ethnomedicinal importance in Nigeria is yet to be fully realized. The effects of the aqueous extract on blood glucose levels of alloxan induced and normal Wistar rats have been investigated. Three doses of the extract (250, 500 and 1000 mg/Kg) were administered intraperitoneally. The dose of 250 mg/Kg of the extract did not significantly alter the blood glucose levels of both normal and alloxan induced diabetic Wistar rats. However, the doses of 500 and 1000 mg/Kg of the extract did significantly (p<0.05) decrease the blood glucose levels of alloxan diabetic Wistar rats at 4, 8 and 24 h. In normal rats, the dose of 1000 mg/Kg of the extract significantly (p<0.05) decrease the blood glucose levels at 8 and 24 h only. In conclusion, the dose of 1000 mg/Kg of the extract has shown both significant (p<0.05) hypoglycemic and anti-hyperglycemic effects in Wistar rats.

Key words: Ganoderma lucidum, alloxan diabetes, blood glucose.