2-hydroxy 4-methoxy benzoic acid isolated from roots of Hemidesmus indicus ameliorates liver, kidney and pancreas injury due to streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats.

Protective effect was evaluated in streptozoticin (STZ)-induced diabetes rats. 2-Hydroxy 4-methoxy benzoic acid (HMBA) was isolated from the roots of Hemidesmus indicus and administered (500 microg/kg body weight) orally for 7 weeks to STZ-induced diabetic and non-diabetic rats to study its effect on protein metabolism, serum electrolytes and on liver and kidney lipid peroxides. Oral administration of HMBA restored the altered biochemical parameters such as urea, uric acid, creatinine, plasma proteins and serum electrolytes to near-normal levels. HMBA treatment significantly decreased lipid peroxidation and malondialdehyde levels in diabetic liver and kidney. Effect of HMBA was equivalent to that of the standard drug, tolbutamide (100 mg/kg body wt). The histological changes were also in correlation with the biochemical findings. The present study showed that HMBA isolated from H. indicus roots had ameliorative effect on liver, kidney and pancreatic injury in STZ-induced diabetic rats.