Antihyperglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects of the methanolic extract of Caralluma tuberculata in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract

The antihyperglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects of the methanolic extract of Caralluma tuberculata were investigated in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The antihyperglycaemic activity was assessed by the reduction in fasting blood glucose (54% at 4th week) and the peak of blood glucose at 120 min of an oral glucose tolerance test in diabetic rats. Further, the tested extract also increased plasma insulin by 206.8%. The hypolipidaemic action of the extract was evident by the significant decrease in the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol by 41.5%, 36.7% and 49.1%, respectively, compared to diabetic rat values. Interestingly, the extract increased the cardio-protective lipid HDL-cholesterol by 147.97% as compared to diabetic rat value. The present data suggests that the methanolic extract of C. tuberculata has both antihyperglycaemic and hypolipidaemic effects in STZ-induced diabetic rats that may need further studies to be used in the management of diabetes and associated hyperlipedaemia.

Keywords:

• Asclepiadaceae
• Caralluma tuberculata
• antihyperglycaemic
• hypolipidaemic
• OGTT

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Deanship of Scientific Research, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia (project no. 046/428), for providing fund for this study, and to Mr Islam Farouk, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, for providing technical assistance.