Abstract
The present experiments were designed to investigate the acute effects of methanolic extracts of various parts of H. tetrasperma in diabetic mice. The basic phyto-chemical study showed the occurrence of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids and tannins as main phyto-constituents in the methanolic extract. Diabetes was induced experimentally in mice by intra peritoneally injecting alloxan (150 mg/kg i.p.). In acute study, methanolic H. tetrasperma extracts of various parts of plant were evaluated for anti-diabetic potential in alloxan induced diabetic mice. Extracts of leaves, bark and seeds (250 mg/kg, i.p) and metformin (250 mg/kg i.p) were given intra peritoneal in alloxan treated diabetic mice and blood glucose levels were measured at 0, 360 and 24 h. There was significant lowering of blood glucose level at 1 h after treatment, in diabetic mice treated with methanolic extracts of bark (182.3 +/- 3.6 mg/dL), leaves (178.5 +/- 1.2 mg/dL) and seeds (156.3 +/- 11.3 mg/dL) when compared with control diabetic group (280 +/- 7.92 mg/dL). Highly significant results were also obtained at 24 h after treatment with methanolic extracts of bark (187.67 +/- 1.2 mg/dL), leaves (170.66 +/- 2.3 mg/dL) and seeds (142 +/- 8.7 mg/dL) when compared with control diabetic group (257.7 +/- 6.7 mg/dL). It is concluded that methanolic extract of all parts possess significant anti-diabetic activity which is due to the presence of phytochemicals, i.e. alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, tannins and it can be further evaluated for the mechanism involved.