title: Promising anti-diabetes mellitus activity in rats of β-amyrin palmitate isolated from Hemidesmus indicus roots.
abstract: While evaluating the toxicity of the tuberous root extracts of Hemidesmus indicus, a traditional medicinal plant, the glucose lowering property of the root was observed by the investigators. Therefore, it was thought of interest to isolate the anti-hyperglycemic principle from the root and determine its utility to develop an anti-diabetes mellitus medicine. The active principle was isolated from H. indicus root extract by anti-hyperglycemic activity guided chromatographic techniques. Glucose tolerance test in rats was used to evaluate the anti-hyperglycenic property. Anti-diabetes mellitus property was evaluated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats as well as streptozotocin-induced (type-2 model) diabetic rats. The active principle was isolated and identified with spectral data as β-amyrin palmitate. Although it is a known compound, its presence in H. indicus is not known previously. It was observed for the first time that β-amyrin palmitate has remarkable anti-hyperglycemic activity in orally glucose loaded rats. Further, interestingly, it exhibited excellent anti-diabetes mellitus activity in both alloxan-diabetic and streptozotocin-diabetic rats at a very low concentration (50µg/kg body weight). One of the mechanisms of action of β-amyrin palmitate appears to be blocking the entry of glucose from the intestine. β-Amyrin palmitate is very promising to develop a medicine for diabetes for combination therapy and/or mono-therapy.
authors.affiliation: Phytochemistry and Phytopharmacology Division, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Pacha-Palode, Thiruvananthapuram 695562, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: S Ajikumaran
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.affiliation: Phytochemistry and Phytopharmacology Division, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Pacha-Palode, Thiruvananthapuram 695562, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sabulal
authors.affiliation: Phytochemistry and Phytopharmacology Division, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Pacha-Palode, Thiruvananthapuram 695562, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Radhika
authors.affiliation: Phytochemistry and Phytopharmacology Division, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Pacha-Palode, Thiruvananthapuram 695562, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arunkumar
authors.affiliation: Phytochemistry and Phytopharmacology Division, Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Pacha-Palode, Thiruvananthapuram 695562, Kerala, India. Electronic address: asubramoniam@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Subramoniam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D031102:Hemidesmus / Q000737:chemistry*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009828:Oleanolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; C079349:beta-amyrin palmitate; D009828:Oleanolic Acid; D006003:Glycogen
keywords: Anti-diabetes mellitus; Anti-hyperglycemic; Glucose tolerance test; Hemidesmus indicus R. Br.; β-Amyrin palmitate