In recent years, there has been profound interest in the role of oxidative stress in the precipitation of pre- diabetic condition (1) and there are reports of oxidative stress increasing in patients with diabetes mellitus (2). Oxidative stress results when reactive forms of oxygen are produced faster than they can be safely neutralized by the body antioxidant mechanisms (3). Various researches have shown that it affects the level of serum insulin and cause insulin resistance which are pathophysiologic determinants of pre-diabetic condition (1, 4, 5). The prevalence of pre- diabetes and diabetes imposes great burden on healthcare worldwide as patients also have increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other complications (6, 7). The estimated prevalence of high blood sugar (pre-diabetic condition) in Africa is 1% in rural areas, and ranges from 5% to 7% in urban sub-Saharan Africa and between 8-13% in more developed areas (8). The prevalence in Nigeria varies from 0.65% in rural Mnugu (North) to 11% in urban Lagos (South) and data from the World Health Organization (9) suggests that Nigeria has the greatest number of people living with high blood sugar in Africa (8).
