HYPOGLYCEMIC ACTIVITY OF MEMECYLON UMBELLATUM LEAVES METHANOLIC EXTRACT
Ravindra Puttaswamy, Peethambar S.K. and Rajeshwara N. Achur*
ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the hypoglycemic potential of methanolic
extract of Memecylon umbellatum leaves. Methods: The methanolic
extract was prepared by successive Soxhlet extraction with solvents of
varying polarity. The diabetes was chemically induced in Swiss albino
rats by a single dose of alloxan (120mg/kg, i.p.). After the
development of diabetes, methanolic extract of the leaves was
administered (i.p.) at two different concentrations (75 and 150mg/kg)
and analyzedthe change in sugar level. Acute toxicity studies were
performed by checking the altered levels of urea, creatinine, serum
glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), and serum glutamate
pyruvate transaminase (SGPT). Results:The administration of
methanolic extract of the plant resulted in significant reduction of
blood glucose level (p<0.001) in diabetic rats. The acute toxicity
studies revealed no side effects on the liver and kidney as evident by the level of urea and
creatinine. The extract exhibited significant reduction in urea and creatinine level (p<0.001)
as well as SGPT and SGOT values (p<0.01) as compared to diabetic control. The chronic
studies confirmed a gain in body weight of the extract administered rats as compared to
diabetic controls (p<0.01). Conclusion: Our studies indicate that M. umbellatum, an
endangered medicinal plant from the Western Ghats of Karnataka, possesses a very good
hypoglycemic activity. Isolation, purification and identification of the active ingredient
present in the methanolic extract should reveal the usefulness of this molecule for further
detailed studies and commercial exploitation.
Keywords: Memecylon umbellatum, antidiabetic activity, alloxan, medicinal plant.
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