Pharmacological investigations of medicinal plants in metabolic disorders an experimental study

Abstract

quotObjective: Metabolic disorders are of growing concern with increasing quest for herbal medicines as a treatment option. The current study is planned to screen twelve herbal extracts in acute studies of glucose tolerance test and food intake measurement followed by further screening of selected extracts in antihyperlipidemic study and in chronic models of metabolic disorders. newlineMethods: Qualitative phytochemical investigation was done as per standard procedures. Quantitative phytochemical investigation was done using gravimetric method and HPLC analysis. Acute oral toxicity study was performed as per OECD 420 guideline. Glucose tolerance test (method optimization) was done to select appropriate glucose load to induce hyperglycaemia. Ant-hyperglycaemic activity was evaluated by glucose tolerance test (single dose and multiple dose study), anorexic potential was screened by food intake measurement and antihyperlipidemic activity was screened using poloxamer407-induced hyperlipidemia. For acute studies, 400 mg/kg dose was used for all the extracts. Dose optimization study was done using various doses of selected extracts. Further, for chronic studies, Sprague Dawley rats were fed on high fat diet for 16 weeks. After 16 weeks of dietary manipulation, animals were divided into eight groups for streptozotocin and high fat diet-induced diabetes and into seven groups for high fat diet-induced metabolic disorders. For streptozotocin and high fat diet-induced diabetes, treatment was given orally for 03 weeks to all groups. Diabetes was induced using low dose streptozotocin (35 mg/kg, i.p.). Parameters studied in this model were body weight, food intake, nutritional parameters, lipid profile, creatinine, glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, atherogenic indices, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), organ weight and tissue histopathology. For high fat diet-induced metabolic disorders, treatment was given orally for 07 weeks to all groups. Parameters studied in this model were body weight, food in