Introduction: Solanum nigrum Linn. is a common medicinal plant possessing a wide variety of pharmacological activity. Current treatment of diabetes mellitus has plenty of adverse effects necessitating the search of alternate drugs.
Aim: Evaluation of antidiabetic effect of Aqueous Extract of Solanum Nigrum Linn Berries (AESNB) in alloxan induced diabetic Wistar rats.
Materials and methods: There were five groups (normal control, diabetic control, AESNB 200 mg/kg/day, ASENB 400 mg/kg/day and standard i.e., glimepride 0.1 mg/kg/day) with six animals in each group. Alloxan was used to induce diabetes in rats. The standard drug glimepride in the dose of 0.1 mg/kg/day and the test drug AESNB were given orally in the doses of 200 mg/kg/day and 400 mg/kg/day. The fasting blood glucose level was measured by glucometer on day 0, 1,7,14 and 21 after 12 hour. On 21st day after the blood glucose measurement all the animals were sacrificed and their pancreas were analysed histopathologically. The results were analysed statistically by using one-way ANOVA.
Results: Aqueous extract of Solanum nigrum Linn berries in the dose of 200 mg/kg/day produced significant blood glucose reduction (p<0.01) from day 7 and 400 mg/kg/day produced highly significant reduction in blood glucose from day 7 (p<0.001). The standard drug glimepride reduced the blood glucose as equal to normal on day 21 (p<0.001). Histopathological examination showed the regeneration of pancreatic beta cells in AESNB group.
Conclusion: Aqueous extract of Solanum nigrum Linn berries possess antidiabetic activity.
Keywords: Antihyperglycaemic; Diabetes mellitus; Glimepride.