Abstract

REGULATION OF BLOOD GLUCOSE CONCENTRATION BY SUGNIL, A TRADITIONAL SIDDHA POLYHERBAL FORMULATION IN STREPTOZOTOCIN - DIABETIC RATS

Paranthaman Karthikeyan*, Gopal Sathiya and Subbramanium Sridhar

ABSTRACT

Diabetes is a multi-factorial disease leading to several complications in various organs and therefore demands for a multi model therapeutic approach. This factor gave rise to a perception that the use of single medicinal plant to treat diabetes mellitus is not good enough to manage multiple complications resulting from this disorder. In contrast, the use of polyherbal formulations in diabetes management can fulfill the demand of multi-model treatment strategy. In this view, a traditional Siddha polyherbal formulation named as Sugnil is investigated for its potency on the regulation of blood glucose concentration in STZinduced diabetic rats. Blood glucose, plasma insulin, OGTT, haemoglobin, glycated haemoglobin, carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes, RT-PCR analysis for PEPCK expression in liver and histopathology of pancreas were assessed in experimental groups of rats after 42 days of treatment schedule. Significant changes were observed in Sugnil treated diabetic rats when compared to diabetic control rats with respect to all the tested parameters and the values were found to be near normal levels as in control rats. Slight regeneration of β-cells was observed in Sugnil treated rats. Thus the study suggested that the polyherbal formulation Sugnil holds promising antidiabetic actions which might help in maintaining good glycemic and metabolic control.

Keywords: Diabetes, Sugnil, Polyherbal formulation, Rt-Pcr, Pepck.