Antidiabetic screening and scoring of 11 plants traditionally used in South Africa.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the traditional antidiabetic uses of indigenous or naturalised South African plants using an optimised screening and scoring method.


METHODS
Eleven plant species were screened against Chang liver, 3T3-L1 adipose and C2C12 muscle cells measuring glucose utilisation in all three cell lines and toxicity in the hepatocytes and adipocytes only. A scoring system was devised to aid interpretation of results.


RESULTS
Catharanthus roseus results correlated with previously reported in vivo results, with best stimulation of glucose utilisation in hepatocytes. Momordica foetida and Momordica balsamina extracts were active in myocytes but only the latter stimulated glucose utilisation in hepatocytes. Brachylaena discolor gave the best overall results, with all plant parts giving high activity scores and negligible toxicity. In vitro toxicity results for Catharanthus roseus, Vinca major, Momordica balsamina and some Sclerocarya birrea extracts raise concern for chronic use.


CONCLUSIONS
This screening system increases the likelihood of identifying drug candidates using in vitro antidiabetic screening of crude plant extracts, whilst the scoring system aids data interpretation.


BACKGROUND
The multitude of metabolic steps affected by Type II diabetes offer many drug targets but they complicate in vitro screening to validate traditional uses or find new drug leads from plants.
van de Venter
Maryna
M
Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, PO Box 77000, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa. maryna.vandeventer@nmmu.ac.za
Roux
Saartjie
S
Bungu
Lelethu C
LC
Louw
Johan
J
Crouch
Neil R
NR
Grace
Olwen M
OM
Maharaj
Vinesh
V
Pillay
Pamisha
P
Sewnarian
Prenitha
P
Bhagwandin
Niresh
N
Folb
Peter
P
D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D013019:South Africa; D018675:Toxicity Tests
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D005947:Glucose