EVALUATION OF ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITY OF FRUITS OF WITHAHNIA COAGULANS IN STREPTOZOCIN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Abstract

In past there have been many medicinal plants, which have been used in traditional medicines for their antihyperglycemic properties without any scientific support and pharmacological evidence. The aqueous extract of Withania coagulans dunal fruit has been taken to evaluate the antihyperglycemic activity in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The plant is known as ‘the cheese maker’ or ‘vegetable rennet’ because fruits and leaves of the plant are used as a coagulant. The milk coagulating property of the fruit is attributed to the pulp and husk berries which posses an enzyme which has milk coagulating activity an antihyperglycemic activity of aqueous extract has not been yet done, as no such reports are available in the literature through the activity is reported. The scientific evaluation of its antihyperglycemic activity was, therefore, explored and also compared with the effect of a standard hypoglycemic drug, glibenclamide. A single oral administration of variable dose levels (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg b.wt) of aqueous extract led to lowering of blood glucose level in normal as well as in diabetic rats. In acute treatment maximum % reduction in glucose level (57.02%) was seen with 300mg/kg b.wt WCD at 6 hr while with standard drug maximum % reduction (62.25%) at 6 hr was found. In subacute study the maximum % reduction in blood glucose level was found (57.22%) with WCD aq. extract in dose 300 mg/kg b.wt which is slightly lesser then the % reduction seen with standard drug (64.52%) respectively. Both the doses 100 & 200 mg/kg b.wt of WCD showed significant effect (p<.05) at 4 hr and highly significant (p<0.01) at 6 hr while in chronic treatment both the doses showed significant reduction in blood glucose from 14th day to 28th days. The findings from this study suggest that the aqueous extract of these fruits may be prescribed as adjunct to dietary therapy and drug treatment for controlling diabetes mellitus. Keywords: Withania coagulans, Antihyperglycemic activity, Diabetes mellitus; Streptozotocin