https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0496-4846
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Abstract
Background
Because of the scarcity, high cost, and severe side effects of current medications, it is necessary to discover novel, safe, and affordable anti-diabetic drugs. The current study was conducted to evaluate the antidiabetic activities of Verbascum sinaiticum Benth leaves in mice.
Methods
Leaf coarse powder was extracted with 80% methanol and then fractionated with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and distilled water. The glucose-lowering effects of V. sinaiticum at 100, 200, and 400mg/kg were then studied. Glibenclamide was used as a positive control at a dose of 5 mg/kg. For oral glucose tolerance tests and hypoglycemia tests, Tween 2% was used as a negative control, while citrate buffer was used as a negative control for antihyperglycemic investigations. The results from the study were evaluated using one-way ANOVA, and then Tukey’s post hoc multiple comparison test was performed.
Results
Blood glucose levels were significantly reduced by the V. sinaiticum 80% methanol extract at 400 mg/kg (p<0.05). The blood glucose levels were significantly lowered by the aqueous residue at 400 mg/kg (p<0.05) and the ethyl acetate fractions at 200 mg/kg (p<0.01) and 400 mg/kg (p<0.001); however, none of the fraction extracts resulted in hypoglycemic shock in healthy mice. Higher glucose tolerance was seen in orally glucose-loaded mice after exposure to 80% methanol extracts at 200 and 400 mg/kg (p<0.05), the aqueous residual fraction at 200 mg/kg (p<0.01), and the ethyl acetate fraction at 200 and 400 mg/kg (p<0.05). The ethyl acetate fraction at 200 and 400 mg/kg (p<0.01), the 80% methanol extract at 400 mg/kg (p<0.05) and the aqueous residue at 400 mg/kg (p 0.01) significantly lowered blood glucose levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.
Conclusion
The results of this study revealed that the 80% methanol extract and solvent fractions of V. sinaiticum Benth leaves are endowed with antidiabetic activity.
Abbreviations
ADA, American Diabetes Association; ANOVA, analysis of variance; ARF, aqueous residue fraction; CME, crude methanol extract; EAF, ethyl acetate fraction; GLC, glibenclamide; NHF, N-hexane fraction; SEM, standard error of the mean; STZ, streptozotocin.
Data Sharing Statement
The corresponding author will provide all the datasets used and analyzed during the current work upon reasonable request.
Ethical Approval
Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the College of Medicine and Health Science, Hawassa University, before conducting the experiment (Protocol version Number 1, Ref. No. IRB/156/14).
Acknowledgments
We are very grateful to the School of Pharmacy at Haramaya University for their support and use of their pharmacology laboratory for this study. We would also like to thank the laboratory coordinators and the pharmacology and medicinal chemistry department staff for their unreserved cooperation during the experiment. The full thesis of this manuscript is available on the Hawassa University repository at this link: http://etd.hu.edu.et/handle/123456789/3649.
Author Contributions
All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis, and interpretation or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising, or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Disclosure
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.