In the present study, the hypoglycaemic effect of alcoholic extracts of M. charantia,
A. marmelos and E. jambolana was studied in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetes. Rats were
made diabetic by intraperitoneal injection of STZ (30 mg/kg) in citrate buffer. On confirmation of
diabetes after 48 hrs of injection, alcoholic extract of medicinal plant (250 or 500 mg/kg) or
glibenclamide (300 μg/kg) administered orally to rats for 30 days. These three plants produced dose
and duration dependent hypoglycaemia very similar to that of glibenclamide. At the end of one
month, serum glucose levels of STZ diabetic rats with daily doses of 500 mg/kg of any one of
the alcoholic extract were more or less comparable to that of normal rats. The anti-diabetic effect
of these plants might be due to enhanced insulin secretion from the viable β-cells of islets of
Langerhans as evidenced by presence of more viable β-cells and less necrotic changes in the
pancreas of diabetic rats as compared to that of control diabetic rats. Thus, these plants appear
to be better alternative for the diabetic patients who are prone to develop side effects with the
regular use of synthetic hypoglycaemic drugs as these are also plants devoid of any untoward/toxic
effects
Key words: STZ diabetic rats, Hypoglycaemic effect, Histopathology, Momordica charantia,
Aegle marmelos, Eugenia jambolana.
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