Antidiabetic Activity of Polyherbal Formulation in Streptozotocin – Nicotinamide Induced Diabetic Wistar Rats

Abstract

Camellia sinensis and Macrotyloma uniflorum are well-known plants available throughout India and they are commonly used for the treatment of various diseases including diabetes mellitus. The antidiabetic activity of the individual plant is well known, but the synergistic are unclear. The polyherbal formulation contains the methanolic extracts of Camellia sinensis and Macrotyloma uniflorum in the ratio of 1:1. The acute toxicity studies of the polyherbal formulation did not show any toxic symptoms in doses up to 2000 mg/kg over 14 days. The oral antidiabetic activity of the polyherbal (200 and 400 mg/kg) was screened against streptozotocin (50 mg/kg; i.p.) + nicotinamide (120 mg/kg; i.p.) induced diabetes mellitus in rats. The drug was administered for 21 consecutive days, and the effect of polyherbal formulation on blood glucose levels was studied at regular intervals. At the end of the study, Polyherbal formulation showed significant antidiabetic activity at 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively, and this effect was comparable with that of glibenclamide.