Abstract

EVALUATION OF ANTIDIABETIC EFFECT OF CITRULLUS LANATUS (THUNB) SEEDS AND SARACA ASOCA (ROXB.) DE.WILD. FLOWERS IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Jayavelu Sathya and Francis Gricilda Shoba*

ABSTRACT

Objective: To evaluate the in-vivo antidiabetic potential of the methanolic extracts of Citrullus lanatus seeds (CLS) and Saraca asoca flowers (SAF) in the streptozotocin (STZ) -induced rat model. Methods: Acute oral toxicity study was performed according to the OECD test guidelines and antidiabetic activity was carried out using STZ-induced diabetes in the male Sprague Dawley rats. The rats were treated with methanolic extracts of CLS and SAF at the dose of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg of b.wt. administered orally for 28 days. Metformin was used as a standard drug at a dose of 100 mg/kg, b.wt. The antioxidant and histopathological studies were carried out using standard protocols. Results: The extracts did not show any sign of toxicity at a dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight. Oral administration of both the extracts at a dosage of 400 mg/kg body weight for 28 days resulted in a significant reduction in blood glucose, lipid profile (cholesterol, triglyceride), hepatic and renal markers (SGOT, SGPT, ALP, creatinine, urea and protein) when compared with the diabetic control. In in-vivo antioxidant enzymes study on both the extracts showed a significant (p

Keywords: Acute oral toxicity, Antidiabetic, Citrullus lanatus seeds, Saraca asoca flowers, Histopathology, pancreas.