In the present study an attempt has been made to evaluate the presence of hypoglycemic activity in the alcoholic extract of Aloe vera gel. Effects of oral administration of A. vera extract at a concentration of 200 and 300 mg/kg of body weight on (a) normal fasted rats, (b) oral glucose-loaded rats, and (c) streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats have been studied. A. vera extract maintain the glucose homeostasis by controlling the carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes.
Preparation of Plant ExtractThe fruits of jambolana were first washed well and pulp was removed from the seeds. Seeds were washed several times with distilled water to remove the traces of pulp from the seeds. The seeds were dried at room temperature. The kernel of the seeds was selectively separated from the seed coat. The kernel was powdered in an electrical grinder and stored at 5°C until further use. Kernel powder (100 g) was extracted with petroleum ether (60-80°C) to remove lipids. It was then filtered and the residue was extracted with 95% ethanol by Soxhlation. Ethanol was evaporated in a rotary evaporator at 40-50°C under reduced pressure. The yield of kernel was Ϫ3.2 g/100 g. Animals Male albino Wistar rats, weighing about 150-180 g obtained from Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, India were used for the present investigations. The animals were maintained on standard rat Oxidative stress plays an important role in chronic complications of diabetes. In the present study the antioxidant effect of oral administration of ethanolic extract of Eugenia jambolana seed kernel on tissue antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in liver and kidney of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats was evaluated. Administration of seed kernel to diabetic rats significantly decreased the levels of blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin and increased body weight gain, plasma insulin and hemoglobin. The diabetic rats showed the low activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and reduced glutathione content in liver and kidney, which were restored to near normal levels by treatment with the seed kernel extract. The increased levels of lipid peroxidation and hydroperoxides in diabetic rats were reverted back to near normal levels after the treatment with seed kernel extract. Diabetic rats treated with seed kernel extract restored almost normal architecture of liver and kidney and were confirmed by histopathological examination. The present study reveals the efficacy of Eugenia jambolana seed kernel in the amelioration of diabetes, which may be attributed to its hypoglycemic property along with its antioxidant potential. The antioxidant effect of Eugenia jambolana seed kernel was also compared with glibenclamide, a standard hypoglycemic drug.
The present study evaluated the hypoglycemic activity of different parts of Eugenia jambolana seeds such as whole seed, kernel, and seed coat on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Administration of the ethanolic extract of kernel at a concentration of 100 mg/kg of body weight significantly decreased the levels of blood glucose, blood urea, and cholesterol, increased glucose tolerance and levels of total proteins and liver glycogen, and decreased the activities of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and glutamate pyruvate transaminase in experimental diabetic rats. Whole seed showed a moderate hypoglycemic effect, and seed coat did not show any hypoglycemic effect. The hypoglycemic efficacy was compared with that of glibenclamide, a standard hypoglycemic drug.
Medicinal herbs used in indigenous medicines for the management of diabetes mellitus contain both organic and inorganic constituents. Some of these inorganic trace elements possess antidiabetic properties, which accounts for the activity of medicinal herbs. The aim of this study was to analyze the inorganic trace elements present in Eugenia jambolana seeds and to evaluate the hypoglycemic activity of the inorganic part of E. jambolana seeds on streptozotocin-induced diabetes. The seeds of E. jambolana seeds were reduced to ash and the inorganic elements present were assayed. The hypoglycemic efficacy of the inorganic part was tested by the glucose tolerance test on streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Elements such as zinc, chromium, vanadium, potassium, and sodium, possessing hypoglycemic activity, were present in the seed. The E. jambolana seed ash-treated diabetic rats exhibited normoglycemia and better glucose tolerance. The conclusion that the inorganic constituents might play a important role in the antidiabetic nature E. jambolana seeds was reached.
Chronic exposure of cadmium (Cd) to rats (6 mg/kg body weight/day) led to a significant accumulation of Cd in brain and other organs. Calmodulin (CaM) isolated from brains of Cd exposed rats showed a decreased ability to stimulate CaM-dependent phosphodiesterase (PDE) as compared to that purified from unexposed animals. There was a dose dependent inhibition of CaM activity when CaM (from normal and Cd exposed rats) was incubated with different molar ratios of aluminium (Al3+), lead (Pb2+), manganese (Mn2+) and vanadium (V5+). Regression analysis of rat brain CaM activity versus varying metal ion concentration demonstrated negative slopes. However, CaM from the brains of Cd exposed rats was less sensitive to these metals in comparison to the normal rat brain CaM. These data suggest that CaM inhibition may be used as a biological marker of neurotoxicity and for elucidating the possible mechanism by which neurotoxic metals manifest toxic effects.
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