Hypoglicemic effect of Leandra lacunosa in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats

• Published in: Fitoterapia Vol. 79; no. 5; pp. 356 - 360
• Main Authors: Cunha, W.R., Arantes, G.M., Ferreira, D.S., Lucarini, R., Silva, M.L.A., Furtado, N.A.J.C., da Silva Filho, A.A., Crotti, A.E.M., Araújo, A.R.B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-07-2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alloxan; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose - drug effects; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - drug therapy; General pharmacology; Glucose Tolerance Test; Hypoglicemic activity; Hypoglycemic Agents - chemistry; Hypoglycemic Agents - pharmacology; Leandra lacunosa; Male; Medical sciences; Melastomataceae - chemistry; Molecular Structure; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Hypoglicemic activity; Diabetes mellitus; Leandra lacunosa; Endocrinopathy; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Rat; Pharmacognosy; Animal; Rodentia; Plant origin; Medicinal plant
• ISSN: 0367-326X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2008.04.002

Leandra lacunosa, popularly known as “erva-do-jabuti”, is used in Brazilian folkloric medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Based on this traditional indication, the aim of this work was to evaluate the hypoglycemic activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of
L. lacunosa aerial parts (LLH) in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Chromatographic fractionation of LLH was also carried out by several techniques, affording isolation of the following major compounds: ursolic acid (1), kaempferol (2), luteolin (3), and quercetin (4). The oral administration of LLH (500 mg/kg) in normal rats caused a significant reduction of 24.7% (
P
<
0.05) in the blood glucose levels after 2 h of treatment, while the administration of chlorpropamide (20 mg/kg, p.o.) led to a reduction of 40.2% (
P
<
0.01). After oral administration of glucose (10 g/kg, p.o.), LLH (500 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly inhibited the increase in blood glucose levels compared with the negative control group. The oral treatment with LLH (500 mg/kg) in alloxan-induced diabetic rats significantly reduced the blood glucose levels in 47.8% after 4 h of treatment, while chlorpropamide resulted in a significant reduction of 71.7% in the 4th hour. Our results showed that LLH, displays hypoglycemic activity, which may be related to the effect of the major compounds identified in the crude extract. This study seems to provide biological evidence for the folkloric use of
L. lacunosa in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.