A creeper, Coccinia indica, has anti-hyperglycaemic and anti-ureogenic effects in diabetic rats

To explore how ethanolic extract of Coccinia indica affects normal and diabetic rats.

The case-controlled animal study was conducted in June 2008 at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Two groups of 10 male rats each - one streptozotocin-induced diabetics and the other normal - were fed orally aqueous suspension of residue extracted from C. indica leaves with 60% ethanol after 18 hours of fasting. After 90 minutes of oral administration, the rats were sacrificed, and blood level of glucose and free fatty acids and hepatic arginase activity were analysed.

The blood sugar level had significantly decreased by 23% (p <0.01) and 28% (p <0.001) in the normal and diabetic rats. Level of blood-free fatty acid was depressed by 15% (p <0.01) and 25% (p <0.001) in the two groups respectively. Moreover, the activity of hepatic arginase, a key urea cycle enzyme, was significantly depressed by 14% (p < 0.05) and 22% (p < 0.02) in the normal and diabetic groups.

Results suggested that C. indica extract had anti-hyperglycaemic and anti-ureogenic effects on the diabetic rats as judged by the decreased level of blood glucose and fatty acid and hepatic arginase activity.