Evaluation of hypoglycemic activity of boswellia carterii and cissus rotundifolia in streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetic rats

Abstract EN

Objective : To evaluate the hypoglycemic activity of Boswellia carterii and Cissus rotundifolia in rats compared to that of glibenclamide and metformin as common oral hypoglycemic drugs.

Methods : Thirty-six male Wistar rats, divided into six groups of six rats each, were assigned into diabetic and nondiabetic groups.

Diabetes was induced in rats by single intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg b.w.) and nicotinamide (110 mg / kg b.w.).

The first two groups were normal and diabetic controls, whereas the other four diabetic groups were treated with water extracts of the medicinal plants; B.

carterii (100 mg/kg b.w.) and C.

rotundifolia (100 mg / kg b.w.), glibenclamide (5 mg / kg b.w.) and metformin (150 mg/kg b.w.).

Body weight and serum glucose were measured on days 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28.

Serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels were also measured.

Results : Treatment of diabetic rats with the water extracts of B.

carterii and C.

rotundifolia for four weeks resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase in their body weights and a significant decrease in the levels of serum glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides.

The effects of the two plant extracts were almost similar to those of glibenclamide and metformin.

Conclusion : Water extracts of B.

carterii or C.

rotundifolia have a hypoglycemic effect resembling those of glibenclamide and metformin, and these findings provide a pharmacological evidence for their anti-diabetic claims in folk medicine.