|
|
|
|
DiaMedBase ID |
|
DMPCa181 |
|
Medicinal Plant
|
|
Clausena anisata |
|
Plant part(s)
|
|
Roots |
|
Objective |
|
To study the hypoglycaemic
effect of Clausena anisata (Willd) Hook root methanolic extract in
normal and streptozotocin-treated diabetic rats |
|
Journal Source
|
|
J Ethnopharmacol.
2002; 81(2):231-237 |
|
Title
|
|
Hypoglycaemic effect of
Clausena anisata (Willd) Hook methanolic root extract in rats |
|
Authors
|
|
Ojewole JA |
|
Address
|
|
Department of
Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of
Durban-Westville, Durban 4000, South Africa. ojewole@pixie.udw.ac.za |
|
Abstract
|
|
This study was designed to
examine the hypoglycaemic effect of Clausena anisata (Willd) Hook
[family: Rutaceae] root methanolic extract in normal (normoglycaemic)
and in streptozotocin-treated diabetic rats. Young adult, male Wistar
rats (Rattus norvegicus) weighing 250-300 g were used. Diabetes
mellitus was induced in the group of diabetic 'test' rats by
intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin (STZ, 90 mg/kg). In one
set of experiments, graded doses of the methanolic root extract of C.
anisata (CAME, 100-800 mg/kg p.o.) were administered to both fasted
normal and fasted diabetic rats. In another set of experiments, 800
mg/kg of CAME, a dose of the plant extract which produced maximal
hypoglycaemic effect in both fasted normal and diabetic rats in the
previous set of experiments, was used. The hypoglycaemic effect of
this single dose of C. anisata root methanolic extract (i.e. CAME, 800
mg/kg p.o.) was compared with those of insulin (5 micro U/kg s.c.) and
glibenclamide (0.2 mg/kg p.o.) in both fasted normal and fasted
diabetic rats. Following acute treatment, relatively moderate to high
doses of CAME (100-800 mg/kg p.o.) produced dose-dependent,
significant reductions (P<0.05-0.001) in the blood glucose
concentrations of both fasted normal and fasted diabetic rats. On
their own, both insulin (5 micro U/kg s.c.) and glibenclamide (0.2
mg/kg p.o.) produced significant reductions (P<0.01-0.001) in the
blood glucose concentrations of the fasted normal and diabetic rats.
At a dose of 800 mg/kg p.o., CAME reduced the mean basal blood glucose
concentrations of fasted normal and fasted diabetic rats by 57.52 and
51.30%, respectively. C. anisata contains a diverse group of chemical
compounds (see Table 1). Since methanol extractives of plants are
usually known to contain many chemical compounds, each of which is
capable of producing definite biological activities via different
mechanisms, it is difficult to draw any logical conclusion on the
mechanism of the hypoglycaemic effect of such a diverse mixture of
chemical compounds contained in the plant extract used in this study.
While it is possible that the hypoglycaemic effect of the plant
extract may be due, at least in part, to its terpenoid and coumarin
contents, the mechanism of its hypoglycaemic action remains largely
speculative, and is unlikely to be due to the stimulation of
pancreatic beta-cells and subsequent secretion of insulin. Although C.
anisata root methanolic extract is less potent than insulin as an
antidiabetic agent, the results of this experimental animal study
indicate that the herb possesses hypoglycaemic activity; and thus lend
credence to the suggested folkloric use of C. anisata root in the
management and/or control of adult-onset, Type-2 diabetes mellitus in
some communities of South Africa. |
|
Diseases |
|
Disease Link |
|
