Experimental study of the hypoglycemic effect of some antidiabetic plants

The purpose of this work is to look for the hypoglycemic effect of 12 plants most used in Mexico for controlling diabetes mellitus. The studies were realized in 27 rabbits submitted weekly to glucose tolerance tests after gastric administration of water, tolbutamide or a preparation of the plant. The results showed that tolbutamide and studied plants (except Aloe barbadensis) decreased significantly (p less than 0.05) the area under glucose tolerance curve, in relation with the water control. The strongest effect was yielded by Psacalium peltatum (27.9%), followed by Curcubita ficifolia (26.4%), Lepechinia caulescens (26.0%), Opuntia streptacantha (21.4%), Slanum verbascifolum (21.1%), Teucrium cubense (19.4%), Cecropia obtusifolia (18.9%), Phaseolus vulgaris (18.5%), Tecoma stans (17.5%), Eriobotrya japonica (17.2%), Salpianthus macrodonthus (15.0%), tolbutamide (14.3%), and Aloe barbadensis (1.4%). Our results point out that the majority of the plants most used by the Mexican population to control diabetes mellitus have an evident hypoglycemic action.