title: Effects of Averrhoa bilimbi leaf extract on blood glucose and lipids in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.
abstract: The present study was designed to investigate the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities of an ethanolic extract of Averrhoa bilimbi Linn. leaves (Oxalidaceae, Common name: Bilimbi) in streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. The optimal hypoglycemic dose (125 mg kg(-1)) was determined by performing the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in both normal and STZ-diabetic rats. To investigate the effect of repeated administration of an ethanolic extract of Averrhoa bilimbi (ABe) leaves, diabetic rats were treated with vehicle (distilled water), ABe (125 mg kg(-1)) or metformin (500 mg kg(-1)) twice a day for 2 weeks. Like metformin, ABe significantly lowered blood glucose by 50% and blood triglyceride by 130% when compared with the vehicle. ABe also significantly increased the HDL-cholesterol concentrations by 60% compared with the vehicle. ABe thus significantly increased the anti-atherogenic index and HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio. However, like metformin, ABe did not affect total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations, but significantly reduced the kidney lipid peroxidation level. These data show that ABe has hypoglycemic, hypotriglyceridemic, anti-lipid peroxidative and anti-atherogenic properties in STZ-diabetic rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119260, Singapore.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pushparaj
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D001834:Body Water / Q000187:drug effects; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008687:Metformin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008055:Lipids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D008687:Metformin