Oral hypoglycaemic activity of Ipomoea aquatica.

Ipomoea aquatica is a commonly consumed green leafy vegetable in Sri Lanka which is supposed to possess an insulin-like activity [Jayaweera, D.M.A., 1982. Medicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic) Used in Ceylon. Part 11. National Science Council, Colombo, Sri Lanka, pp. 99]. Only a little attention has been paid to the therapeutic use of this plant. We studied the oral hypoglycaemic activity of single and multiple doses of I. aquatica in healthy, male Wistar rats after a glucose challenge. There was a significant reduction in the serum glucose concentrations with both single (33%, P<0.0027) and multiple (25%, P<0.02) doses. The optimum dose was 3.4 g/kg while the optimum activity was given 2 h after the administration of the extract. The present study indicates that a boiled, whole extract of I. aquatica exerts an oral hypoglycaemic effect in healthy, male, Wistar rats after a glucose challenge.