Abstract

ORAL GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TESTS WITH COMBINATION OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF AERIAL PARTS OF Bulbophyllum neilgherrense AND GLIBENCLAMIDE

Sadia Israt Khanom, Khoshnur Jannat, Nasrin Akhter Shova and Mohammed Rahmatullah*

ABSTRACT

Background: Bulbophyllum neilgherrense Wight is an epiphytic monocot belonging to the Orchidaceae family and found in Bangladesh and India. Since orchids have always been used in indigenous medicines, it was therefore of interest to evaluate the antihyperglycemic activity of aerial parts of this orchid and synergistic effect, if any, with an antihyperglycemic drug, glibenclamide. Methods: Antihyperglycemic activity was determined through oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) in mice. Results: Administration of methanol extract of Bulbophyllum neilgherrense aerial parts (MEBN) at a dose of 400 mg per kg to glucose-loaded mice reduced blood glucose level by 25.7%. By comparison, a standard antihyperglycemic drug, glibenclamide, when administered at a dose of 10 mg per kg body weight, reduced blood glucose level by 38.3%. MEBN, when administered at doses of 200 and 400 mg per kg along with glibenclamide at 10 mg per kg, respectively reduced blood glucose levels by 43.3, and 44.0%. Conclusion: Methanolic extract of aerial parts of Bulbophyllum neilgherrense (MEBN) can act synergistically with antihyperglycemic drugs like glibenclamide, and so can reduce glibenclamide dependence.

Keywords: Antihyperglycemic, Bulbophyllum neilgherrense, Glibenclamide, OGTT, Mice.