Effect of the Garcinia kola Seed on Glycemia, Creatininemia and Aminotransferases in Adult Subjects

Background: The administration of extracts of Garcinia kola seed to experimental rats has a hypoglycemic and hepatoprotective effect.

Objective: Assess the effect of daily consumption of Garcinia kola seed on glycemia, creatinine and serum aminotransferases among adult subjects.

Methods: We carried out an intervention study based on quasi-experimental approach during three months i.e. from May 1 to July 30, 2019. A sample consisting of 40 adult subjects (18 men, 22 women) had participated to the study after their written consent and approval by the institutional ethics committee. After the baseline testing which consists of fasting glycemia, creatininemia, alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) and aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), each subject consumed one Garcinia kola seed per day during 90 days. Then, every 30 days, the same testing was performed. Glycemia was determined by endpoint colometric method for assaying enzyme using glucose oxidase; creatinine by colometric kinetic assay using the JAFFE reagent; and aminotransferases by UV enzyme kinetics. Student’s t test helped compare the mean values of the parameters determined at the beginning and at the end of the experiment at the threshold of 5%.

Results: The mean values at the beginning and at the end of the experiment were glycemia in g/L (0.81± 0.20 vs 0.84 ± 0.14), creatininemia in mg/L (9.36 ± 2.44 vs 8.01 ± 2.15), ALAT in UI/L (27.19 ± 15.77 vs 25.60 ± 12.45) and ASAT in UI/L (28.46 ± 11.52 vs 23.30 ± 8.48). A significant decrease of creatininemia and ASAT was observed (p = .010 and .025 respectively).

Conclusion: The consumption of the Garcinia kola seed has a nephroprotective and hepatoprotective effect.