title: Effect of aloes on blood glucose levels in normal and alloxan diabetic mice.
abstract: The acute and chronic effects of the exudate of Aloe barbadensis leaves and its bitter principle were studied on plasma glucose levels of alloxan-diabetic mice. Aloes was administered orally, 500 mg/kg, and the bitter principle was administered intraperitoneally, 5 mg/kg. The hypoglycemic effect of a single oral dose of aloes on serum glucose level was insignificant whereas that of the bitter principle was very highly significant and extended over a period of 24 h with maximum hypoglycemia observed at +8 h. In chronic studies, aloes was administered twice daily and the bitter principle was administered once a day for 4 days. The maximum reduction in plasma glucose level was observed at the 5th day in both cases. The hypoglycemic effect of aloes and its bitter principle may be mediated through stimulating synthesis and/or release of insulin from the beta-cells of Langerhans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Allied Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ajabnoor
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000504:Aloe / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood*; D005905:Glyburide / Q000494:pharmacology; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D005905:Glyburide