title: Antidiabetic and aldose reductase activities of biflavanones of Garcinia kola.
abstract: Kolaviron, a mixture of C-3/C-8 linked biflavonoids obtained from Garcinia kola produces significant hypoglycaemic effects when administered intraperitoneally to normal and alloxan diabetic rabbits at a dose of 100 mg kg-1. The fasting blood sugar in normoglycaemic rabbits was reduced from 115 mg/100 mL to 65 mg/100 mL after 4 h. In alloxan diabetic rabbits, the blood sugar was lowered from 506 mg/100 mL to 285 mg/100 mL at 12 h. The hypoglycaemic effects have been compared with those of tolbutamide. Kolaviron inhibited rat lens aldose reductase (RLAR) activity, with an IC50 value of 5.4 x 10(-6). The significance of these findings in the potential use of kolaviron as an antidiabetic agent is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Phytotherapy Research Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Iwu
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Igboko
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Okunji
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Tempesta
mesh_terms: D000449:Aldehyde Reductase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000032:analysis*; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013401:Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014044:Tolbutamide / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005419:Flavonoids; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D014044:Tolbutamide; D013401:Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases; D000449:Aldehyde Reductase; C045492:kolaviron