Abstract

ANTIHYPERGLYCEMIC ACTIVITY OF LITSEA GLUTINOSA (LOUR.) B. ROB. BARK METHANOLIC EXTRACT

Anup Chowdhury, Md. Masfikur Rahman, Md. Najmul Hossain and
Mohammed Rahmatullah*

ABSTRACT

Background: Litsea glutinosa is a deciduous tree found in Bangladesh and which is used in traditional medicines of the country. It was therefore of interest to evaluate the antihyperglycemic activity of barks of this tree. Methods: Antihyperglycemic activity was determined through oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) in mice. Results: Administration of methanol extract of Litsea glutinosa barks (MELG) at doses of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg per kg to glucose-loaded mice reduced blood glucose levels, respectively, by 8.4, 20.2, 31.3, and 37.4%. By comparison, a standard antihyperglycemic drug, glibenclamide, when administered at a dose of 10 mg per kg body weight, reduced blood glucose level by 47.3%. Conclusion: Methanolic extract of bark of Litsea glutinosa (MELG) can be a potential source of antihyperglycemic compound(s).

Keywords: Antihyperglycemic, Litsea glutinosa, OGTT, mice.