Hypoglycaemic and Hypolipidaemic Effects of Withania somnifera Root and Leaf Extracts on Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

Rajangam Udayakumar; Sampath Kasthurirengan; Thankaraj Mariashibu; Manoharan Rajesh; Vasudevan Anbazhagan; Sei Kim; Andy Ganapathi; Chang Choi

Authors

Rajangam Udayakumar Department of Biology and Medicinal Sciences, Pai Chai University, Daejeon 302-735, Korea; E-Mails: [email protected] (R.U.); [email protected] (S.-C.K.); [email protected] (A.G.)
Sampath Kasthurirengan Department of Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamilnadu, India; E-Mails: [email protected] (S.K.); [email protected] (T.S.M.); [email protected] (M.R.); [email protected] (V.R.)
Thankaraj Mariashibu Department of Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamilnadu, India; E-Mails: [email protected] (S.K.); [email protected] (T.S.M.); [email protected] (M.R.); [email protected] (V.R.)
Manoharan Rajesh Department of Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamilnadu, India; E-Mails: [email protected] (S.K.); [email protected] (T.S.M.); [email protected] (M.R.); [email protected] (V.R.)
Vasudevan Anbazhagan Department of Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamilnadu, India; E-Mails: [email protected] (S.K.); [email protected] (T.S.M.); [email protected] (M.R.); [email protected] (V.R.)
Sei Kim Department of Biology and Medicinal Sciences, Pai Chai University, Daejeon 302-735, Korea; E-Mails: [email protected] (R.U.); [email protected] (S.-C.K.); [email protected] (A.G.)
Andy Ganapathi Department of Biology and Medicinal Sciences, Pai Chai University, Daejeon 302-735, Korea; E-Mails: [email protected] (R.U.); [email protected] (S.-C.K.); [email protected] (A.G.)
Chang Choi Department of Biology and Medicinal Sciences, Pai Chai University, Daejeon 302-735, Korea; E-Mails: [email protected] (R.U.); [email protected] (S.-C.K.); [email protected] (A.G.)

Keywords:

alloxan, diabetic, Withania somnifera, hypoglycaemic, hypolipidaemic, flavonoids

Abstract

Withania somnifera is an important medicinal plant, which is used in traditional medicine to cure many diseases. Flavonoids were determined in the extracts of W. somnifera root (WSREt) and leaf (WSLEt). The amounts of total flavonoids found in WSREt and WSLEt were 530 and 520 mg/100 g dry weight (DW), respectively. Hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects of WSREt and WSLEt were also investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. WSREt and WSLEt and the standard drug glibenclamide were orally administered daily to diabetic rats for eight weeks. After the treatment period, urine sugar, blood glucose, haemoglobin (Hb), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1C), liver glycogen, serum and tissues lipids, serum and tissues proteins, liver glucose-6-phosphatase (G6P) and serum enzymes like aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were determined. The levels of urine sugar, blood glucose, HbA1C, G6P, AST, ALT, ACP, ALP, serum lipids except high density lipoprotein-bound cholesterol (HDL-c) and tissues like liver, kidney and heart lipids were significantly (p < 0.05) increased, however Hb, total protein, albumin, albumin:globulin (A:G) ratio, tissues protein and glycogen were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Treatment of the diabetic rats with WSREt, WSLEt and glibenclamide restored the changes of the above parameters to their normal level after eight weeks of treatment, indicating that WSREt and WSLEt possess hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic activities in alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) rats. Keywords: alloxan, diabetic, Withania somnifera, hypoglycaemic, hypolipidaemic, flavonoids

Author Biographies

Rajangam Udayakumar, Department of Biology and Medicinal Sciences, Pai Chai University, Daejeon 302-735, Korea; E-Mails: [email protected] (R.U.); [email protected] (S.-C.K.); [email protected] (A.G.)

Department of Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamilnadu, India; E-Mails: [email protected] (S.K.); [email protected] (T.S.M.); [email protected] (M.R.); [email protected] (V.R.)

Andy Ganapathi, Department of Biology and Medicinal Sciences, Pai Chai University, Daejeon 302-735, Korea; E-Mails: [email protected] (R.U.); [email protected] (S.-C.K.); [email protected] (A.G.)