Evaluation of the hypoglycemic and anti-oxidant activities of Morinda officinalis in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to investigate the hypoglycemic and anti-oxidant activities of the dried roots of Morinda officinalis in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.


METHODS
An ethanolic extract of the dried roots of Morinda officinalis and its three fractions (ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water) were obtained. We evaluated the hypoglycemic effects of three different single doses of the crude extract and its fractions in normal and diabetic rats for three hours after administration. Administration of the extract at 150 mg/kg twice daily for 10 days to the diabetic rats was also carried out. The effects of the 10-day treatment on the fasting serum glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, body weight, food intake, fluid intake, hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activities, reduced glutathione (GSH), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and renal TBARS levels were monitored.


RESULTS
In the three-hour dose response study, the crude ethanolic extract reduced the fasting serum glucose levels of the diabetic rats significantly at 150 mg/kg but increased those of the normal rats significantly at 600 mg/kg only. The water fraction demonstrated a dose dependent hypoglycemic effect in the diabetic rats whereas the n-butanol fraction increased the fasting serum glucose levels of the diabetic rats significantly at 50 mg/kg only within three hours after administration. The 10-day oral administration of the extract reduced the fasting serum glucose, hepatic and renal TBARS level and significantly increased the hepatic SOD and CAT activities as well as GSH levels.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that the dried roots of Morinda officinalis possess hypoglycemic, hyperglycemic and anti-oxidant properties.
Soon
Y Y
YY
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Tan
B K H
BK
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013311:Streptozocin
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013311:Streptozocin