Antidiabetic effect of methanolic extract of Decalepis hamiltonii root (wight and Arn) in normal and alloxan induced diabetic rats

Diabetes mellitus is a major health growing problem in most countries. Purpose of the study was to evaluate the antidiabetic activity of methanolic extracts of root of Decalepis hamiltonii in normal and alloxan induced diabetic rats. Alloxan monohydrate 120 mg/kg was used to induce diabetes mellitus. The methanolic extract of D. hamiltonii at 200 mg and 400 mg and glibenclamide at 7 mg/kg bwt were administered to normal and alloxan induced diabetic rats which significantly reduced the blood glucose in the normal rats and alloxan induced diabetic rats. Also the administration of extract significantly decreased serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and AST and ALT levels and at the same time increased liver glycogen content. OGTT was performed by administration of 200 mg and 400 mg of methanolic extract of D. hamiltonii and 7 mg of glibenclamide to different groups respectively which significantly lower at all time points that blood was sampled after oral glucose load. These results suggest that the methanolic extract of root of D. hamiltonii was effective in lowering blood glucose level in diabetic rats.