title: Isolated flavonoids from Ficus racemosa stem bark possess antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and protective effects in albino Wistar rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ficus racemosa (FR) has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic system of medicine in India and is closely associated with prevention, treatment and cure of various human ailments like obesity and diabetes. It is popularly known as gular. A vast and wide range of chemical compounds like polyphenols, friedelane-type triterpenes, norfriedelane type triterpene, eudesmane-type sesquiterpene including various glycosides had been isolated from this plant. However, no detail studies related to isolation of flavonoids has been reported previously with their antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and toxicological consequences.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was undertaken to evaluate antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and toxicological assessments of flavonoids isolated from Ficus racemosa (FR) stem bark.
  
  
  METHODS
  We isolated four flavonoids from stem bark of FR and structures were confirmed by Infrared spectroscopy (IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) (both 1D and 2D), mass spectroscopy (MS). Later, these flavonoids were administered to streptozotocin (STZ) rats once in a day for a period of seven days at 100mg/kg dose. We measured blood glucose level and body weight changes at different days (1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th days). Serum lipid profiles were also estimated to investigate the hypolipidemic potential of flavonoids in the similar experiment. Various oxidative stress parameters in pancreas and liver and hepatic biomarker enzymes in plasma were also determined to investigate the toxicity potential of isolated flavonoids. Finally, we performed docking studies to find out the mechanism of action.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results collectively suggested that four flavonoids reduced blood glucose level and restored body weight, signifying antidiabetic action. There were reduction of other lipid profile parameters and increase of high density lipoprotein (HDL) during administration of flavonoids, also signifying hypolipidemic action. Various oxidative stress biomarkers and hepatic enzymes levels were also normalized with respect to diabetic control at the same time. Docking studies revealed that isolated flavonoids showed their antidiabetic potential via binding to PPARγ and GLUT1 receptors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The isolated four flavonoids demonstrated good antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant properties in STZ diabetic rats which supported the use of FR stem bark as useful supplementary drug for future antidiabetic therapy.
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025, India. Electronic address: Keshariamitkeshari.pharma@gmail.com.
authors: Amit K
authors: AK
authors: Keshari
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025, India. Electronic address: ghanendra20@gmail.com.
authors: Ghanendra
authors: G
authors: Kumar
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025, India. Electronic address: priya.shail19@gmail.com.
authors: Priya S
authors: PS
authors: Kushwaha
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025, India. Electronic address: bhardwaj.monika09@gmail.com.
authors: Monika
authors: M
authors: Bhardwaj
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025, India. Electronic address: pranesh.psit@gmail.com.
authors: Pranesh
authors: P
authors: Kumar
authors: Centre of Biomedical Research (CBMR), Sanjay Gandhi P ost-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences Campus, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India; Department of Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025, India. Electronic address: atulcbmr@gmail.com.
authors: Atul
authors: A
authors: Rawat
authors: Centre of Biomedical Research (CBMR), Sanjay Gandhi P ost-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences Campus, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226014, Uttar Pradesh, India. Electronic address: dineshcbmr@gmail.com.
authors: Dinesh
authors: D
authors: Kumar
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025, India. Electronic address: anandlohia@gmail.com.
authors: Anand
authors: A
authors: Prakash
authors: Department of Pharmacy, BITS-Pilani at Hyderabad Campus, Jawahar Nagar, Hyderabad 500 078, India. Electronic address: balaram@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in.
authors: Balaram
authors: B
authors: Ghosh
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025, India. Electronic address: sudiptapharm@gmail.com.
authors: Sudipta
authors: S
authors: Saha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D030681:Ficus / Q000737:chemistry*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013311:Streptozocin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D005419:Flavonoids; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013311:Streptozocin
keywords: Antidiabetic; Baicalein (PubChem CID: 5281605); Ficus racemosa; Flavonoids; GLUT1; Hypolipidemic; Kaempherol (PubChem CID: 5280863); Naringenin (PubChem CID: 439246); PPARγ; Quercetin (PubChem CID: 5280343)