Abstract

SYNERGISTIC ACTION OF GLIBENCLAMIDE AND METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF IPOMOEA AQUATICA AERIAL PARTS IN ORAL GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TESTS

Md. Sohrab Hosen, Md. Abdur Rahim and Mohammed Rahmatullah*

ABSTRACT

Background: Glibenclamide is a frequently prescribed blood glucose lowering drug to diabetic patients in Bangladesh. Ipomoea aquatica is a semi-aquatic plant, which is both found in the wild as well as cultivated for its leaves and stems, which are cooked and eaten as vegetable. Since the plant has been reported for blood glucose lowering effects, it was of interest to determine whether the antihyperglycemic effect induced by glibenclamide is synergistic with methanol extract of Ipomoea aquatica. Methods: Antihyperglycemic activity was determined through oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) in mice. Results: Administration of methanol extract of leaves and stems of the plant (MEIA) to glucose-loaded mice at a dose of 400 mg per kg body weight led to reduction in blood glucose level by 30.8%. By comparison, glibenclamide, when administered at a dose of 10 mg per kg reduced blood glucose level by 46.7%. Administration of glibenclamide (10 mg per kg) along with MEIA at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg per kg led to, respectively, reductions in blood glucose levels by 46.4, 48.2, and 51.8%. Conclusion: MEIA is synergistic with the antihyperglycemic effects of glibenclamide.

Keywords: Antihyperglycemic, Ipomoea aquatica, Convolvulaceae, OGTT, glibenclamide.