title: A novel compound from Casearia esculenta (Roxb.) root and its effect on carbohydrate metabolism in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.
abstract: Casearia esculenta root (Roxb.) is widely used in traditional system of medicine to treat diabetes in India. An active compound 3-hydroxymethyl xylitol (3-HMX) has been isolated and its optimum dose has been determined in a short duration study and patented. In the present study, the long-term effect of 3-HMX in type 2 diabetic rats has been investigated. An optimum dose of 3-HMX (40 mg/kg body weight) was orally administered for 45 days to streptozotocin-diabetic rats for the assessment of glucose, insulin, hemoglobin (Hb), glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)), hepatic glycogen, and activities of carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes, such as glucokinase, glucose 6-phosphatase, fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and hepatic marker enzymes, such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gammaglutamyl transferase (GGT) in normal and streptozotocin-diabetic rats. 3-HMX at 40 mg dose produced similar effects on all biochemical parameters studied as that of glibenclamide, a standard drug. Histological study of pancreas also confirmed the biochemical findings. These results indicate that 3-hydroxymethyl xylitol, the compound from C. esculenta, possesses antihyperglycemic effect on long-term treatment also.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar-608 002, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Govindasamy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chandramohan
authors.forename: Savarimuthu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ignacimuthu
authors.forename: Kodukkur Viswanathan
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Pugalendi
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D037821:Casearia / Q000737:chemistry*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D013311:Streptozocin; D014993:Xylitol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin; D013311:Streptozocin; D014993:Xylitol; C532178:3-hydroxymethylxylitol