title: Efficacy of asiatic acid, a pentacyclic triterpene on attenuating the key enzymes activities of carbohydrate metabolism in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
abstract: Asiatic acid (AA), a triterpenoid derivative of Centella asiatica, has shown significant biological effects of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Aim of this investigation was to evaluate the antihyperglycemic effect of AA on the activities of hepatic enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. To induce diabetes mellitus, rats were injected with streptozotocin intraperitoneally at a single dose of 40 mg/kg b.w. Diabetic rats showed significant (p<0.05) increased in plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin and significant (p<0.05) decreased in circulating insulin and hemoglobin. The altered activities of key enzymes such as glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase of carbohydrate metabolism significantly (p<0.05) increased whereas hexokinase, pyruvate kinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and glycogen content significantly (p<0.05) decreased in the liver of diabetic rats and also increased activities of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Oral administration of AA (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg b.w.) and glibenclamide (600 μg/kg b.w.) to diabetic rats for 45 days prevented the above alteration and reverted to near normalcy. Protection of body weight loss of diabetic rats by AA was also observed. No significant effect was observed in normal rats treated with AA (20 mg/kg b.w.). In this search, AA found to be potential bioactive compound to regulate the carbohydrate metabolism by modulating the key regulatory enzymes in diabetic rats. These findings merit further research in this field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Vinayagam
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.forename: Ramalingam
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saravanan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D028041:Centella / Q000737:chemistry; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; C526146:Centella asiatica extract; D006454:Hemoglobins; D007328:Insulin; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014315:Triterpenes; D006003:Glycogen; C017032:asiatic acid