title: Assessment of antidiabetic potential of Cynodon dactylon extract in streptozotocin diabetic rats.
abstract: This study was undertaken to investigate the hypoglycemic and antidiabetic effect of single and repeated oral administration of the aqueous extract of Cynodon dactylon (Family: Poaceae) in normal and streptozotocin induced diabetic rats, respectively. The effect of repeated oral administration of aqueous extract on serum lipid profile in diabetic rats was also examined. A range of doses, viz. 250, 500 and 1000mg/kg bw of aqueous extract of Cynodon dactylon were evaluated and the dose of 500mg/kg was identified as the most effective dose. It lowers blood glucose level around 31% after 4h of administration in normal rats. The same dose of 500mg/kg produced a fall of 23% in blood glucose level within 1h during glucose tolerance test (GTT) of mild diabetic rats. This dose has almost similar effect as that of standard drug tolbutamide (250mg/kg bw). Severely diabetic rats were also treated daily with 500mg/kg bw for 14 days and a significant reduction of 59% was observed in fasting blood glucose level. A reduction in the urine sugar level and increase in body weight of severe diabetic rats were additional corroborating factors for its antidiabetic potential. Total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride (TG) levels were decreased by 35, 77 and 29%, respectively, in severely diabetic rats whereas, cardioprotective, high density lipoprotein (HDL) was increased by 18%. These results clearly indicate that aqueous extract of Cynodon dactylon has high antidiabetic potential along with significant hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects.
authors: Alternative Therapeutics Unit, Drug Discovery & Development Division, Medicinal Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Allahabad, Allahabad 211002, India.
authors: Santosh Kumar
authors: SK
authors: Singh
authors: Achyut Narayan
authors: AN
authors: Kesari
authors: Rajesh Kumar
authors: RK
authors: Gupta
authors: Dolly
authors: D
authors: Jaiswal
authors: Geeta
authors: G
authors: Watal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D031744:Cynodon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006029:Glycosuria / Q000378:metabolism; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol