Therapeutic hypoglycemic potential of Pentapetes phoenicea L. in experimentally induced hyperglycemic rats

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder of endocrine system. This dreadful disease is found all over the world and is becoming a serious threat to the mankind health. Alternative to synthetic agents, plants provide a potential source of hypoglycemic drugs. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hypoglycemic effect of 70% alcoholic extract of Pentapetesphoenicea (PPE) on blood glucose level in glucose loaded, normal and experimentally induced diabetic rats. Based on the acute toxicity test, two variable doses (250, 500 mg kg(-1) b.wt.) of hydro-alcoholic extract of P. phoenicea leaves were compared with glibenclamide for the influence on fasting blood glucose in glucose loaded, normoglycemic and streptozotocin (STZ) (55 mg kg(-1), i.p.) induced hyperglycemic rats. All the statistical comparisons were made by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Newman-Keuls Multiple Comparison Test using Graph Pad Prism 4.01 v for windows (Graph Pad Software, San Diego, CA, USA). The difference showing a p level of 0.05 or lower was considered to be statistically significant. The administration of PPE in two doses and glibenclamide (5 mg kg(-1)) to STZ induced hyperglycemic animals significantly lowered the blood glucose levels with 18.84% (p<0.01) for PPE 250 mg kg and 38.89% (p<0.001) for PPE 500 mg kg(-1) in a dose dependant manner. Considering all the results obtained, the study concludes that the hydro-alcoholic extract of P. phoenicea leaves produced promising decrease in blood glucose levels in STZ induced hyperglycemic rats which might be related to tannins, terpenoids, sterols and flavonoid contents.