Abstract

ANTIHYPERGLYCEMIC ACTIVITIES OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF BOILED RAPHANUS SATIVUS L ROOTS AND GLIBENCLAMIDE ARE NOT SYNERGISTIC

Md. Nahid Akter, Md. Shahadat Hossan and Mohammed Rahmatullah*

ABSTRACT

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a common disorder in Bangladesh both among the urban and rural populations. The disorder is characterized by high blood glucose levels and is incurable. Allopathic medicines, which are occasionally not affordable or available to the rural population, are only effective in lowering high blood glucose levels. We have previously observed that methanolic extract of roots of Raphanus sativus can produce an antihyperglycemic effect in mice. Since the roots are edible mostly in the cooked or boiled form, it was of interest to determine the antihyperglycemic effect, if any, of methanolic extract of boiled roots. A further interest was to determine whether the extract gave a synergistic antihyperglycemic action with a standard blood glucose lowering drug, namely glibenclamide. Methods: Antihyperglycemic activity was determined through oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) in mice. Results: Administration of methanol extract of boiled Raphanus sativus roots at a dose of 400 mg extract per kg body weight lowered blood glucose levels in glucose-loaded mice by 38.3%. A standard antihyperglycemic drug, glibenclamide, when administered at a dose of 10 mg per kg body weight, lowered blood glucose level by 45.6%, while a combination of 400 mg per kg extract and 10 mg per kg glibenclamide lowered blood glucose in mice by 47.0%. Conclusion: The methanolic extract of boiled Raphanus sativus roots and glibenclamide did not show any significant synergistic antihyperglycemic action at the doses tested. However, extract of boiled roots demonstrated antihyperglycemic activity.

Keywords: Antihyperglycemic, Raphanus sativus, glibenclamide, OGTT.