HYPOGLYCEMIC EFFECT OF NYCTANTHES ARBORTRISTIS LINN EXTRACTS IN NORMAL AND STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Nyctanthes arbortristis Linn is widely used in Bangladesh and South Asia. The plant has a long history of traditional medicine use in the treatment of various ailments. This study examined the hypoglycemic effects of N. arbortristis Linn ripe seed and leaves extracts in rat models. Aqueous and 2% ethanol extracts of seed and leaves of N. arbortristis were used at a dose of 1.25 g/kg body weight. Male Long-Evans rats, bred at Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM) animal house, weighing between 180–200 g were used in the study. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic models of rats were induced with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin using conventional methods. Experiments were done in normal, Type 1 and Type 2 model rats with a single feeding in different prandial states. Control rats received water. Glibenclamide and insulin were given to positive control groups. Serum glucose was measured by glucose-oxidase methods. Orally administered ripe seed extracts had significant effect on blood glucose level in fasting condition (p 0.005) as well as when the extract fed simultaneously with glucose (p 0.001) and 30 min before glucose load (p 0.05) in diabetic and normal model rats compared with control group. The leaves extract also reduced blood glucose level significantly in Type 1 model rats (p 0.05) compared to control rats. The extracts of the plant of N. arbortristis exhibited hypoglycemic effects which merits further exploration both chemically and biologically.