title: Influence of Allium sativum extract on the hypoglycemic activity of glibenclamide: an approach to possible herb-drug interaction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of herbs with allopathic medicines increases the possibility of herb-drug interaction, which may either be beneficial or harmful. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to determine the interaction of glibenclamide, a sulfonylurea, with the aqueous extract of garlic (Allium sativum), an herb used widely as an antidiabetic agent.
  
  
  METHODS
  The interaction was evaluated by an acute study, chronic study, oral glucose tolerance test, and body weight estimation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Glibenclamide was given orally at two different doses of 0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg, and A. sativum extract (ASE) was administered at the dose of 500 mg/kg. Blood glucose level and body weight estimation were carried out at various intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hypoglycemic effect observed with combinations of glibenclamide and ASE was greater than either of the drug given alone. Combined treatments of glibenclamide and ASE resulted in higher increase in body weight than alone treatments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that ASE shows a synergistic effect with glibenclamide. This could be important in reducing the dose of glibenclamide to achieve an enhanced therapeutic effect with minimal side effects.
authors.forename: Tripathi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Poonam
authors.forename: Gupta Prem
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Prakash
authors.forename: Lal Vijay
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005737:Garlic / Q000737:chemistry*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D005905:Glyburide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D041743:Herb-Drug Interactions; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D005905:Glyburide