Objectives: Ichnocarpus frutescens is a common plant used by tribal people and in Ayurveda for its high medicinal value. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether I. frutescens has any persuasive medicinal property to manage diabetes mellitus.
Materials and methods: Initially, male albino Wistar rats were given intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin-nicotinamide to induce diabetes, followed with the administration of active fraction obtained from the methanolic extract of I. frutescens for the next 28 consecutive days. Glibenclamide (25 mg/kg) was used as positive control.
Results: According to the results obtained, active fraction at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight exhibited significant antihyperglycemic activity, which was evident with reduced blood glucose level up to 58.84%. The active fraction also showed improvement in serum lipid profile as well as regeneration of pancreatic β-cells in diabetic rats. Concurrent histopathological studies reinforce the effect of active fraction in healing pancreas, thus justifying the possible mechanism of its antidiabetic activity.
Conclusion: The results of the present investigation lead credence to the use of I. frutescens in ameliorating the diabetic condition.
Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Ichnocarpus frutescens; glibenclamide; hepatic glycogen; plasma insulin.