title: Hypoglycemic potential of herbal product dolabi compared with pioglitazone in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate and compare the hypoglycemic potential of commonly used polyherbal formulation dolabi with pioglitazone in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 24 adult male Wistar rats were randomized into diabetic control group, diabetic group receiving dolabi (17.6 mg kg-1day-1), diabetic group receiving dolabi (35.2 mg kg-1day-1) and diabetic group receiving pioglitazone (2.7 mg kg-1day-1), with 6 rats in each group. The study was conducted for 4 weeks. Blood samples were collected for fructosamine estimation, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were measured at different time points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with baseline, the groups receiving dolabi (35.2 mg kg-1day-1) and pioglitazone showed signififi cant reductions (P<0.05) in fructosamine levels at the end point and same was the case for FPG and OGTT with pioglitazone showing greater hypoglycemic potential. However, the group receiving dolabi (17.6 mg kg-1day-1) showed significant reduction (P<0.05) only in FPG level and failed to achieve significant changes either in fructosamine level or OGTT. Moreover, signififi cant differences (P<0.05) in FPG and fructosamine levels were observed between groups receiving dolabi (17.6 mg kg-1 day-1) and pioglitazone at the end point.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results showed sluggish hypoglycemic effects of dolabi at manufacturer's recommended doses. At a higher dose however, good glycemic control was achieved with dolabi and the results were comparable to pioglitazone. The shorter duration of study (4 weeks) might be the reason of poor glycemic control associated with dolabi at a normal dose.
authors.affiliation: Gandhara College of Pharmacy, Gandhara University, Peshawar, 25000, Pakistan. inayat@gandhara.edu.pk.
authors.forename: Inayat Ur
authors.initials: IU
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Kabir Medical College, Peshawar, 25000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Idrees
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Bannu Medical College, Bannu, 24100, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Khalil Ur
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, 26000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Iqbal
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Gandhara College of Pharmacy, Gandhara University, Peshawar, 25000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Naeem Ullah
authors.initials: NU
authors.lastname: Jan
keywords: diabetes mellitus; glycemic control; pioglitazone; polyherbal formulation; rats