亚洲传统医药

Abstract: This study was designed to investigate the antihyperglycemic effect of different extracts of Cassia sophera Linn leaves in rats with alloxan-induced diabetes. Hyperglycemia was induced in the group of diabetic test rats by intraperitoneal injections of alloxan (150 mg/kg body weight). Petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts of Cassia sophera leaves were prepared and evaluated for their acute oral toxicity in female rats as per OECD 423 (2001) guidelines. No mortality was observed. Each extract was given by the oral route at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight daily for 14 days to diabetic rats. The blood glucose levels were measured at 0, 2, and 4 hr, and on the 7^th and 14^th day after treatment. The petroleum ether extract did not reduce the blood glucose level, however the chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts significantly reduced (P<0.01) the blood glucose level in the diabetic rats. The methanol extract showed a maximum blood glucose lowering effect (58.63%) followed by the ethyl acetate (47.12%) and chloroform (37.12%) extracts. The antihyperglycemic activity of the different extracts was compared with that of treatment with Glibenclamide, an oral hypoglycemic agent, which reduced the blood glucose level by 63.69% over the same period of treatment.

Key words: Cassia sophera, alloxan, acute toxicity, glibenclamide