title: Hypoglycemic Activity of Fumaria parviflora in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fumaria parviflora Lam (Fumariaceae) has been used in traditional medicine in the treatment of several diseases such as diabetes. The present work was designed to evaluate the hypoglycaemic effects of methanolic extract (ME) of F. parviflora in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  The rats used were allocated in six (I, II, III, IV, V and VI) experimental groups (n=5). Group I rats served as 'normal control' animals received distilled water and group II rats served as 'diabetic control' animals. Diabetes mellitus was induced in groups II, V and VI rats by intraperitoneal single injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 55 mg kg-1). Group V and VI rats were addi-tionally treated with ME (150 mg kg-1 day-1 and 250 mg kg-1 day-1, i.p. respectively) 24 hour post STZ injection, for seven consecutive days. Groups III and IV rats received only ME 150 mg kg-1 day-1 and 250 mg kg-1 day-1, i.p. respectively for seven days. The levels of blood glucose were determined using a Glucometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Administra-tion of F. parviflora extract showed a potent glucose lowering effect only on streptozo-tocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats below 100 mg/dl (P<0.001). However, no significant differences in the blood glucose levels were recorded between diabetic rats received 125 or 250 mg/kg of plant extracts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of the study indicated that F. parviflora has significant hypoglycemic effect on STZ-induced diabetic rats with no effects on blood glucose levels of normal rats.
authors: Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
authors: Fatemeh
authors: F
authors: Fathiazad
authors: Sanaz
authors: S
authors: Hamedeyazdan
authors: Mohamad Karim
authors: MK
authors: Khosropanah
authors: Arash
authors: A
authors: Khaki
keywords: Anti diabetic; Fumaria parviflora; Fumariaceae; Hypoglycemic; Streptozotocin