Effect of Aqueous Extract of Pterocarpus marsupium Heartwood on Diabetic Rabbit Model

Abstract

newline Background: Diabetes mellitus has attained epidemic proportion throughout the world and newlineespecially in India. Many new medicines, especially from plant sources are being tried for newlinebetter clinical outcome as complementary and alternate medicine. Pterocarpus marsupium newlineis one such traditional plant. The aqueous extract of heart wood of this tree is tried in newlinediabetes for ages. This plant is commonly known as Indian Kino and also known as newlineVijayasar in Sanskrit, Bijsal, Bibla etc. It is a long deciduous tree which belongs to newlineLeguminaceae family. It is mostly found in evergreen forest of central, western and newlinesouthern parts of India. newlineAim: To study the effect of aqueous extract of Pterocarpus marsupium on serum glycemic newlineexcursion, serum insulin level and and#946;-cell population of islet of Langerhans in Alloxaninduced newlinediabetic rabbit model. newlineMaterials and Methods: The present work is Randomized Placebo-controlled open newlinecomparative study undertaken to determine anti diabetic effect of Pterocarpus marsupium newlineon Alloxan induced diabetic rabbit model. The study was conducted in the Department of newlineAnatomy and Central Animal House of IMS and SUM Hospital, SOA University, newlineBhubaneswar. A total of 30 rabbits were taken for the experimentation. At first the newlineheartwood of Pterocarpus marsupium was collected. The heartwood of Pterocarpus newlinemarsupium was processed and its extract was obtained. Invitro toxicity study of the newlineobtained extract was conducted using human cord blood. The rabbits were made diabetic newlineusing chemical Alloxan. The diabetic rabbits were divided into 6 groups consisting of 5 newlinerabbits each. The groups made were of control, Diabetic Rabbits treated with Metformin newlineLow (1500 mg/ day) and High dose (3000 mg) respectively, Diabetic Rabbits treated with newlinePterocarpus marsupium Low (2 gm) ,medium dose (3gm) and High dose (4gm). Then the newlinerabbits were given the test drugs for 6 months. Required parameters like FBS, PPBS, newlineHbA1C, Insulin level were recorded. At the end of study period one rabbit from each group newlinewere sacrificed and their pancreas was taken out for histological studies. and#946;-cell counting newlinewas also done. Invitro enzymatic assay was done. The information gathered on the basis of newlineobservations was subjected to statistical analysis. We used one-way analysis of variance newline(ANOVA) , Tukey s post hoc test and students t test. newlineviii newlineResult: The toxicity study revealed that the doses taken are completely safe. The different newlineparameters taken to find out the antidiabetic effect of aqueous extract of Pterocarpus newlinemarsupium proved to be the antidiabetic. The fasting blood sugar level which were high newlineafter being inducted, came down to normal within 26 weeks of treatment. The findings newlinewere also statistically proved (p valuelt0.01). The test drug was potent enough to control newlinepost prandial hyperglycemia. The raised insulin level also came to normal, suggesting of newlineblood glucose level being maintained by the test drug. The histological study also revealed newlinethe capacity of the drug for regeneration of and#946;-cell. The invitro enzymatic study concluded newlinethat the test drug is a potent inhibitor of and#945;-Amylase and and#945; Glucosidase enzymes, there by newlinecontrolling post prandial hyperglycemia. Another noteworthy result is that it does not have newlinehypoglycemic effect. newlineConclusion: Pterocarpus marsupium can be a drug of choice for treatment of typeII newlinediabetes as it helps to control both Fasting and Postprandial hyperglycaemia without newlinecausing hypoglycaemia, which is the major drawback of today s medication.