Antidiabetic Activities of Extracts of Ficus bengalensis Linn

Abstract

Various extracts of diverse parts of medicinal plants have been shown to possess antidiabetic and hypoglycemic effect. Most of them look to act directly on pancreas (pancreatic effect) and stimulate insulin level in blood. Some have extra pancreatic effect by acting directly on tissues like liver, muscle, etc and alter favorably, the activities of the regulatory enzymes of glycolysis, gluconeogenesis and other pathways. The research work embodied in the thesis deals with the scientific exploration of indigenous plants viz., Ficus bengalensis Linn for their possible anti-diabetic and hypoglycemic activity. The present investigations concluded that the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of aerial parts of Ficus bengalensis Linn endowed with potential antidiabetic activity which could be attributed by their possible multiple effects on both pancreatic and extra-pancreatic site by influencing either the metabolism and/or absorption of glucose, which in turn also influence the lipid metabolism. Keywords: hypoglycemic, Ficus bengalensis Linn, Diabetic, Lipid metabolism