Assessment of antidiabetic potential of Cynodon dactylon extract in streptozotocin diabetic rats

This study was undertaken to investigate the hypoglycemic and antidiabetic effect of single and repeated oral administration of the aqueous extract of Cynodon dactylon (Family: Poaceae) in normal and streptozotocin induced diabetic rats, respectively. The effect of repeated oral administration of aqueous extract on serum lipid profile in diabetic rats was also examined. A range of doses, viz. 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg bw of aqueous extract of Cynodon dactylon were evaluated and the dose of 500 mg/kg was identified as the most effective dose. It lowers blood glucose level around 31% after 4 h of administration in normal rats. The same dose of 500 mg/kg produced a fall of 23% in blood glucose level within 1 h during glucose tolerance test (GTT) of mild diabetic rats. This dose has almost similar effect as that of standard drug tolbutamide (250 mg/kg bw). Severely diabetic rats were also treated daily with 500 mg/kg bw for 14 days and a significant reduction of 59% was observed in fasting blood glucose level. A reduction in the urine sugar level and increase in body weight of severe diabetic rats were additional corroborating factors for its antidiabetic potential. Total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride (TG) levels were decreased by 35, 77 and 29%, respectively, in severely diabetic rats whereas, cardioprotective, high density lipoprotein (HDL) was increased by 18%. These results clearly indicate that aqueous extract of Cynodon dactylon has high antidiabetic potential along with significant hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects.