Abstract
BackgroundVarious parts of Garcinia mangostana Linn., including its pericarp, have been traditionally used to treat a variety of ailments. In an attempt to establish its medicinal value, the present study was carried out to determine the hypoglycaemic potential of G. mangostana pericarp ethanolic extract (GME) using the streptozotocin-induced (STZ) diabetic rats.MethodsGME at 2,000 mg/kg was subjected to a single-dose acute toxicity test. Following this, the effect of GME (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) on blood glucose level of normoglycaemic and STZ-induced diabetic rats was determined using single-dose (acute) and multiple-dose (subacute) approaches. Subsequent to the multiple-dose study, serum biochemical analysis and liver histopathological examination were also performed. Throughout the experiments, the effect of GME was compared against the standard hypoglycaemic drug, glibenclamide.ResultsGME was safe for oral consumption up to the dose of 2,000 mg/kg. In both single- and multiple-dose studies, GME significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the blood glucose level in normoglycaemic rats and STZ-induced diabetic rats when compared against the normal control group or diabetic control group, respectively. Moreover, GME also significantly (p < 0.05) increased the rats’ body weight in comparison to the diabetic control group in the multiple-dose study. GME also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the levels of certain biochemical parameters [i.e., triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), urea, and creatinine] while increased the others [i.e., high density lipoprotein (HDL) and total protein (TP)] when compared to the diabetic control group. Histopathological assessment of the collected liver revealed a mild increase in the population of β-cells in the diabetic rats.ConclusionGME exerts the hypoglycaemic activity possibly by increasing the population of insulin-producing β-cells. This activity could be attributed to the presence of antioxidant-bearing tannins like epicathecin, and xanthones like α-mangostin. Thus, the findings demonstrated that GME could be a potential candidate in the management of diabetes owing to its hypoglycaemic effect.
Highlights
Various parts of Garcinia mangostana Linn., including its pericarp, have been traditionally used to treat a variety of ailments
All reagents used for serum biochemical analysis were procured from Thermo Fisher Scientific (VA, USA), while sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Na CMC) and citrate buffer were obtained from R & M Chemicals (Canada)
Effect of G. mangostana pericarp ethanolic extract (GME) on normoglycaemic rats Figure 1 shows the effect of orally administered GME at various doses on the blood glucose level in the normal healthy rats
Summary
Various parts of Garcinia mangostana Linn., including its pericarp, have been traditionally used to treat a variety of ailments. There were about 3.3 million cases of diabetes reported in Malaysia in 2015, according to the International Diabetes Federation [2]. Impaired glucose metabolism occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces [3]. Elevated blood glucose triggers oxidative damage of cell membranes through the production of superoxide anions, which generate hydroxyl radicals via Haber-Weiss reaction, inducing peroxidation of membrane lipids and protein glycation. These radicals further cause derangement of major biomolecules including carbohydrate, protein, lipid, and DNA [3]. Herbal preparations containing both antioxidants and hypoglycaemic properties would be useful in diabetic management
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
