Antioxidant property of Grewia serrulata DC and its hypoglycemic effect on normal and hyperglycemic rats

Aim

The present study was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant property and hypoglycemic activity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of aerial parts of Grewia serrulata DC (AEGS & EEGS) in normal and hyperglycemic male Wistar Albino rats.

Methods

The antioxidant property was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo model using standard procedures. The hypoglycemic activity was evaluated by normal glucose and oral glucose tolerance test (NG-OGTT) method and by acute administration of AEGS and EEGS extracts at doses 200 and 400 mg/kg body wt p.o in Streptozotocin (STZ) induced hyperglycemic rats.

Results

The ethanolic extract of Grewia serrulata DC exhibited strong free radical scavenging activity as evidenced by their low IC₅₀ values in DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) (9.16 ± 1.05 μg/ml), Superoxide (35.59 ± 1.6805 μg/ml) and nitric oxide (151.80 ± 1.79 μg/ml) methods. In in vivo study, treatment with ethanolic extract at both doses shows a significant dose dependent increase (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001) in the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT) and a significant decrease (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001) in the levels of Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), when compared to CCl₄ treated control in both liver and kidney. In NG-OGTT method EEGS shows reduction in glucose levels in normal rats and glucose loaded hyperglycemic rats and in STZ-induced hyperglycemic rats.

Conclusion

EEGS was found to possess strong antioxidant activity and good hypoglycemic activity compared to that of AEGS.