Author/Authors :
WAQAR, MUHAMMAD ANWAR University of Karachi - International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences - Dr Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, Pakistan , SHAUKAT, SOHAIL University of Karachi - International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences - Dr Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, Pakistan , SOHAIL, TEHMINA Research Center - Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pakistan
Abstract :
Previous studies have implicated the protective effect of Azadirachta indica (AI), Aloe vera (AV), and Trigonilla foenum graecum (TFG) against diabetes, which are being widely used in Pakistan without any discrimination either individually or along with allopathic medications. The goal of the present study was to compare the effects of these three widely used medicinal plants either alone or in combination with glibenclamide. Diabetes mellitus was introduced in adult male Wistar rats after administration of STZ (60 mg/ kg b. wt., i.p.). The comparative effects of the ethanolic extracts of AI (500mg/ kg b. wt.), TFG (500mg/ kg b. wt.), and the AV gel (1g/ kg b. wt.) in normal and glibenclamide-treated diabetic rats were investigated. The rats were orally administered with these extracts for 30 days. The study parameters were blood glucose, body weight, food efficiency ratio, and free radicals in key organs and blood. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) contents of the liver, kidney, spleen, and blood in all the groups were high as compared to the control group. However, this difference is the least in AI-treated diabetic rats (except for in the kidney), with a significant difference of P 0.05 as compared to other treated and untreated groups. The effects of AI on blood glucose level of the normal rats were somewhat hypoglycemic, whereas the effects of TFG were moderate when administered either individually or in combination with glibenclamide against diabetic and non-diabetic rats. AV gel showed minimum activity against blood glucose and TBARS levels. Furthermore, it was found to have some negative effects on the activity of glibenclamide. Body weight gain and food efficiency ratio were found to be maximum in glibenclamide plus TFG treated diabetic rats. Therefore, based upon the results of this study, AI can be used for the treatment of Diabetes, but better and long term results can be achieved by using the combination of glibenclamide and TFG.
