Antihyperglycemic and insulin secretory activity of Costus pictus leaf extract in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats and in in vitro pancreatic islet culture

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 123; no. 3; pp. 470 - 474
• Main Authors: Gireesh, G., Thomas, Santhosh K., Joseph, Binoy, Paulose, C.S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 25-06-2009; Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier; Elsevier
• Subjects: animal models; Animals; Antihyperglycemic; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - drug effects; carbohydrate metabolism; Cell Culture Techniques; Costaceae family; Costus; Costus pictus; Costus pictus D. Don; cultured cells; diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - drug therapy; dosage; General pharmacology; glucose; Glucose - metabolism; Glucose Tolerance Test; glycemic effect; Hypoglycemic Agents - pharmacology; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; insulin; Insulin - metabolism; Insulin Secretion; islets of Langerhans; Islets of Langerhans - drug effects; leaves; liver; Male; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; oral administration; Pancreatic islets; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Leaves; Plants, Medicinal; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Pancreatic islets; Costaceae family; Diabetes mellitus; Antihyperglycemic; Costus pictus D. Don; Insulin secretion; Endocrinopathy; Antineoplastic agent; Pancreatic hormone; Monocotyledones; Rat; Extract; Medicinal plant; Protein hormone; Angiospermae; Streptozotocin; Endocrine pancreas; Pharmacognosy; Secretion; Rodentia; Langerhans islet; Plant leaf; In vitro; Insulin; Vertebrata; Antibiotic; Mammalia; Animal; Plant origin; Spermatophyta; Zingiberaceae
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2009.03.026

The leaves of
Costus pictus D. Don were used extensively for its antihyperglycemic activity by the people in Kerala, India. In the present study, the antihyperglycemic and insulin secretory activity of an aqueous extract of
Costus pictus leaf extract was investigated in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test was done to determine the effective dose of
Costus pictus extract. Aqueous extract of
Costus pictus leaves was given orally to the diabetic rats for 14 days. The insulin secretory action of the leaf extract was investigated using isolated pancreatic islets from rat. Liver glucose uptake activity was measured using
d-[
14C] glucose.
The oral administration of an aqueous extract of
Costus pictus at a dose of 250
mg/kg body weight significantly decreased the blood glucose with significant increase in plasma insulin level in diabetic rats at the end of 14 days treatment. The
Costus pictus leaf extract significantly increased glucose induced insulin secretion at both 4
mM and 20
mM glucose concentrations which represents normal physiological and diabetic condition respectively. The decreased glucose uptake activity of the liver of diabetic rats was reverted to near normal levels after the treatment with
Costus pictus leaf extract.
Our results suggest the glucose lowering effect of
Costus pictus to be associated with the potentiation of insulin release from pancreatic islets and enhancement of peripheral utilization of glucose.