Hypoglycemic and Antihyperglycemic Activity of Nymphaea stellata Flowers in Normal and Alloxan Diabetic Rats

Abstract

Flowers of Nymphaea stellata Willd. (Nymphaeaceae) are used in the Indian traditional system of medicine to treat diabetes mellitus but have not been scientifically investigated. Hence, the current study was aimed to evaluate the hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic effect on normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Hydroethanol extract (HEE) of Nymphaea stellata at an oral dose of 200, 300, and 400 mg/kg was given, and blood glucose level (BGL) on normoglycemic and, diabetic rats and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were evaluated. HEE of the flowers did not show significant reduction on BGL in normoglycemic rats but significantly (p < 0.001) reduced the BGL in hyperglycemic animals by improving OGTT. These results clearly show that flowers of N. stellata do not have hypoglycemic activity in normoglycemic rats but have an antihyperglycemic activity in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Keywords:

• Alloxan
• BGL
• diabetes mellitus
• hypoglycemia
• Nymphaea stellata
• OGTT

Acknowledgments

We are thankful to Mr. P.K.S, K.K.K, Mrs. Meenatchi, and Mrs. Rajeshwari for their great help in ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacologic aspects. We are also thankful to R. Rajkumar and R. Naveenkumar for their help in preparing the manuscript.