European Journal of Medicinal Plants

Aims: The study investigated the effect of Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato) supplemented diet on haematological, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory biomarkers in streptozotocin – induced diabetic albino rats. Study Design: A total of seventy two (72) albino rats that were assumed healthy were randomly assigned to nine (9) groups of eight (8) rats each. Diabetes was induced in groups 2 to 9 through intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (60mg/kg). After 48 hours of establishing onset of diabetes, the animals were then fed diets supplemented with different percentages (10%, 20% and 30%) of sweet potato tuber flour (peeled and unpeeled) for 21 days. The control groups include group 1 (normal control); group 2 (diabetic untreated) and group 3 (diabetic treated with standard drug, metformin and glibenclamide at 50 mg/L and 0.5mg/mL). Groups 4- 6 and 7-9 were fed the supplemented diets peeled tuber and unpeeled tuber respectively. Duration of the study: The study was carried out in the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Abia State University, Uturu-Nigeria between the months of February and July 2025. Methodology: Diabetes was induced and the animals were fed the sweet potato supplemented diet for 21 days, then sacrificed, blood samples collected through cardiac puncture for analysis of haematological, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory biomarkers. Results: Results showed that the rats fed the supplemented diets had significant increase (p≥0.05) in their hematological parameters. The negative control group exhibited a marked reduction in RBC count (5.60 × 10⁶/mm³), PCV (39.20 %), and Hb concentration (13.90 g/dl) compared to the normal control group (7.06 × 10⁶/mm³, 44.60 %, and 16.42 g/dl, respectively).  Dietary intervention with sweet potato tuber at various concentrations (10–30 %) improved haematological indices compared to the negative control group. Substantial improvement was observed in the 30 % tuber group, with RBC (6.80 × 10⁶/mm³), PCV (44.60 %), and Hb (15.44 g/dl). The combination of sweet potato tuber and peel had a more pronounced effect. The 30 % tuber and peel group (Group 9) demonstrated haematological values (RBC 7.33 × 10⁶/mm³, PCV 45.80 %, Hb 17.40 g/dl) nearly equivalent to those in the standard drug group. Antioxidant enzymes and anti- inflammatory biomarkers were all significantly increased. Treatment with sweet potato diets increased GSH in a dose-dependent manner, with the 30% tuber and peel group reaching 14.44 mg/dl, comparable to the normal and positive control groups (15.24 mg/dl). At the highest concentration (30 % tuber), IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α were reduced to 8.16 pg/ml, 0.79 pg/ml, and 8.34 pg/ml, respectively. The 30 % tuber and peel combination (Group 9) achieved cytokine levels of 5.13 pg/ml (IL-6), 0.49 pg/ml (IL-1β), and 4.71 pg/ml (TNF-α), The animals fed the unpeeled sweet potato tuber diet showed significant improvement in the parameters assayed. Conclusion: These findings suggest the use of sweet potato processed without peeling as dietary intervention for diabetes management and its associated complications.