Pandikumar P, Babu N Prakash, Ignacimuthu S
Division of Ethnopharmacology, Entomology Research Institute, Loyola College, Nungambakkam, Chennai 600034, Tamil Nadu, India.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Jul 6;124(1):111-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2009.04.001. Epub 2009 Apr 10.
The stem of Begonia malabarica was used traditionally by the Malasar tribe to treat diabetes. To validate the hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic effects of the hexane, ethylacetate and methanol extracts obtained from an ethnomedicinal plant, Begonia malabarica.
The doses for the study were fixed based on Irwin test. The hypoglycemic effect of hexane, ethylacetate and methanol extracts of Begonia malabarica stems were studied in normal animals. The antihyperglycemic effect of the methanol extract was studied in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.
In normal rats the treatment with the methanol extract of Begonia malabarica had shown a highly significant reduction (16.54 and 34.47%) in plasma glucose levels from the 0 h values at the dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg respectively. In streptozotocin induced diabetic rats the body weight of the Begonia malabarica methanol extract treated animals had shown a significant increase (13.38% at 200 mg/kg) after 4 weeks treatment. The plasma glucose levels were reduced significantly by 46.57 and 50.20% after 4 weeks treatment at 100 and 200mg/kg respectively. Likewise the absolute kidney weight was also reduced in a significant manner. After 25 days treatment the Begonia malabarica methanol extract treated animals had shown low fasting plasma glucose levels (54.29, 61.34% in 100 and 200 mg/kg) and reduced postprandial plasma glucose levels (54.23, 65.96% in 100 and 200 mg/kg) when compared with diabetic control values. Serum insulin levels and liver glycogen levels were increased to 40.04 and 42.18% in 200 mg/kg Begonia malabarica methanol extract treated animals respectively. The treatment with Begonia malabarica methanol extract did not change the triglycerides and total cholesterol levels. The urea and creatinine levels were also reduced significantly by this treatment. The reduction in SGPT levels indicated the absence of toxicity of Begonia malabarica extract at this dose level.
This study supports the use of Begonia malabarica by the Malasar tribe for the treatment of diabetes. Fractionation of this extract may yield novel prototypes to manage diabetes mellitus.
马拉萨尔部落传统上使用马拉巴秋海棠的茎来治疗糖尿病。为验证从民族药用植物马拉巴秋海棠中获得的己烷、乙酸乙酯和甲醇提取物的降血糖和抗高血糖作用。
根据欧文试验确定研究剂量。在正常动物中研究了马拉巴秋海棠茎的己烷、乙酸乙酯和甲醇提取物的降血糖作用。在链脲佐菌素诱导的糖尿病大鼠中研究了甲醇提取物的抗高血糖作用。
在正常大鼠中，分别以100和200mg/kg的剂量用马拉巴秋海棠甲醇提取物处理后，血浆葡萄糖水平与0小时的值相比显著降低（分别为16.54%和34.47%）。在链脲佐菌素诱导的糖尿病大鼠中，用马拉巴秋海棠甲醇提取物处理的动物在4周治疗后体重显著增加（200mg/kg时为13.38%）。在100和200mg/kg剂量下治疗4周后，血浆葡萄糖水平分别显著降低46.57%和50.20%。同样，绝对肾脏重量也显著降低。在治疗第25天后，与糖尿病对照值相比，用马拉巴秋海棠甲醇提取物处理的动物空腹血浆葡萄糖水平较低（100和200mg/kg时分别为54.29%和61.34%），餐后血浆葡萄糖水平降低（100和200mg/kg时分别为54.23%和65.96%）。在200mg/kg马拉巴秋海棠甲醇提取物处理的动物中，血清胰岛素水平和肝糖原水平分别提高到40.04%和42.18%。用马拉巴秋海棠甲醇提取物处理未改变甘油三酯和总胆固醇水平。该处理还显著降低了尿素和肌酐水平。SGPT水平的降低表明该剂量水平的马拉巴秋海棠提取物无毒性。
本研究支持马拉萨尔部落使用马拉巴秋海棠治疗糖尿病。对该提取物进行分离可能会产生用于治疗糖尿病的新型原型药物。
