Antidiabetic effect of Raphanus sativus root juice

Many plants have been explored scientifically and systematically and claimed to be useful for the treatment of diabetes mellitus by various research groups worldwide. The present study is a further effort in the direction of developing a novel oral antidiabetic agent of high potential with minimal or no side effects.

This study screened the glycemic attributes of Raphanus sativus L. (Brassicaceae) root juice in normal as well as sub- and mild-diabetic models.

The variable doses of 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg kg(-1) body weight (bw) of the extract were administered orally to normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced sub- and mild-diabetic rats in order to define its glycemic potential. Glibenclamide was used as a reference drug.

The dose of 300 mg kg(-1)bw was identified as the most effective dose which lowers the blood glucose level (BGL) by 33.4% (p < 0.001) at 6 h during fasting blood glucose (FBG) studies in normal rats. However, the glucose tolerance test (GTT) revealed the maximum reduction of 15.9% (p < 0.001) in BGL at 3 h in normal rats with the same dose, whereas the reduction observed was by 23.8 and 28.3% (p < 0.001) in sub- and mild-diabetic rats, respectively, at the same interval of time.

This evidence clearly indicates that Raphanus sativus root juice possesses good hypoglycemic potential coupled with antidiabetic efficacy.