Antidiabetic and cytotoxic activities of Gleditsia triacanthos L. leaves

Abstract

Gleditsia triacanthos L. is a deciduous tree belonging to family the Fabaceae. It possesses important biological activities as anti-mutagenic, anticancer, cytotoxic and treating rheumatoid arthritis (Miguel et al., 2010). Eight flavone glycosides and two flavone aglycones named vicenin-I (I), vitexin (II), isovitexin (III), orientin (IV), isoorientin (V), luteolin-7-O-ß-glucopyranoside (VI), luteolin-7-O-galactopyranoside (VII), apigenin-7-O-ß-glucopyranoside (VIII), luteolin (IX) and Apigenin (X) were isolated from the aqueous ethanol extract of Gleditsia triacanthos L. leaves. The total ethanol extract of the dried powdered leaves of the plant as well as the successive extracts, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and aqueous ethanol extracts were screened for their antidiabetic and cytotoxic activities. LD50 of the total ethanol extract was found to be 6.6 g/kg b.wt. Total ethanol and aqueous ethanol extracts at 100 mg/kg exhibited 68.72% and 62.95% potency respectively as compared with metformin (100% potency) in decreasing the blood glucose level after four weeks. The total ethanol extract showed a significant cytotoxic activity against breast (IC50= 0.74 µg), larynex (IC50= 0.67 µg), cervix (IC50= 1.28 µg), liver (IC50= 1.68 µg), and colon cell lines (IC50= 2.62 µg) compared with cisplatin. Significant cytotoxic activities of compounds II, IV, VI and VIII against, breast, colon and liver cell lines were also proved