Anti-Diabetic Assessment of the Hydro-Alcoholic Leaf Extracts of the Plant Tetrastigma angustifolia (Roxb.)a traditionally used North-Eastern Indian vegetable

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia generally associated with oxidative stress. The present study aims to evaluate the hypoglycaemic activity of hydro-ethanolic (3:7) leaf extracts of Tetrastigma angustifolia (Roxb.) (Family: Vitaceae) to streptozotocin induced diabetic wistar albino rats. The blood glucose level was measured using single touch blood glucose test strips and glucometer on weekly intervals until the end of 21st day. Other blood parameters like total lipid and liver profiles were investigated after oral administration of extracts to diabetic rats after the treatment of three weeks. The Histopathological changes of the diabetic and vehicle control rats were also investigated in this study. Daily oral administration of hydro-alcoholic leaf extracts (HSE 250 mg/kg & 500 mg/kg body weight) and metformin hydrochloride (5 mg/kg body weight) showed improvement effect on blood glucose level as well as hyperlipidaemia and liver functions due to streptozotocin induced diabetes (Type II). The extract has beneficial effects to maintain the animal body weight and has the regenerating power to pancreatic cells. The hydro-alcoholic leaf extracts dose fractions of Tetrastigma angustifolia (Roxb.) exhibited significant anti-hyperglycemic activities. The extract showed improvement in parameters like body weight and lipid profiles as well as regeneration of â-cells of pancreas and so might be of value for the treatment of diabetes (Type- II).