title: Effect of Grewia asiatica fruit on glycemic index and phagocytosis tested in healthy human subjects.
abstract: The Grewia asiatica (commonly known as Phalsa or Fasla) is a shrub or small tree found in southern Asia. It produces purple to black color fruit when ripe. In folk medicine the edible Grewia asiatica fruit is used in a number of pathological conditions. The current study described the effects of Grewia asiatica fruit on glycemic index (GI) and phagocytosis in healthy non-diabetic human subjects. The results showed that Grewia asiatica fruit has low GI value of 5.34 with modest hypoglycemic activity. Luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence assay was carried out to determine the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the oxidative burst activity of whole blood. ROS production was found to be significantly affected, having the 78.3, 58.6 and 30.8% when the subjects were fed with D-glucose, mixture of D-glucose and Grewia asiatica fruit and Grewia asiatica fruit alone respectively as compared to the control. The aqueous, methanolic and butanolic extracts of Grewia asiatica fruits were found to produce a stimulatory effect on ROS production however; the chloroform, hexane and ethanol-acetate extracted exerted significant inhibitory effect. These results demonstrated that Grewia asiatica fruit has desirable effects on blood glucose metabolism manifested as low glycemic response and modulation of ROS production.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Ahmed
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mesaik
authors.forename: Asif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Ahmed Shukralla
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Khalid
authors.forename: Saleem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jan
authors.forename: Afaq Ahmed
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
authors.forename: Shahida
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perveen
authors.forename: Muhammad Kamran
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Azim
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D038321:Glycemic Index / Q000187:drug effects*; D032382:Grewia / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D012997:Solvents