EFFECT OF FICUS RELEGIOSA ON BLOOD GLUCOSE
AND TOTAL LIPID LEVELS OF
Noreen
Wadood, Abdul Wadood,
Mohammed Nisar*
Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics,
INTRODUCTION
A
number of indigenous plants are claimed to
be useful in the treatment of diabetes mellitus based on folk medicine1.
Several such plants show hypoglycemic activity when taken orally, for example, Allium cepa2, Momordica
foetida3, Coccinia indica4, Momordica charantia5 and Cuminum
nigrum6
Ficus relegiosa is a large tree belonging to the family Urticaeae. This tree is given the name of Budhidhidru or tee of wisdom by Buddhists. The leaves of
tree are long, petioled, ovate, cordate, narrow acuminate and entire or partially
undulated towards the apex. It is
commonly known as Pipal and its leaves are used by practitioners
of the Unani system of medicine as a gargle in
salivation, as a wash for ulcers and as an astringent injection in leucorrhoea.7
Its roots and leaves have been used for the treatment
of diabetes mellitus and to treat infertility in women.8
The
present work was undertaken with the aim to study the effect of the alcoholic
extract of the leaves of Ficus relegiosa
on the blood glucose levels and total lipid levels of normal and alloxan-diabetic rabbits. Acute toxicity and behavioral
changes were also studied to check the safety of these doses.
Experiments
were performed on male, adult rabbits of local strain weighing 0.58-1.98 Kg.
They were fed on green vegetables and grains and allowed tap water ad libitum.
O-touluidine,
glacial acetic acid, thiourea and trichloroacetic
acid were obtained from E.Merck,
The alcoholic extract was
prepared by the method described by Qayum at al 9.
The fresh leaves were obtained from local trees, were dried in the shade and
the completely dried leaves were powdered with an electric grinder. The powder
was extracted for 8 hours with petroleum ether to give a brown residue.
Continued extraction with 95 % alcohol gave a clear solution. Subsequently,
this solution was evaporated, then partitioned between water and alcohol and
then again evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the desired material.
The animals were made diabetic by the method described
by Akhtar et al5
was adopted. A group of rabbits was made artificially diabetic by injecting 10%
solution of alloxan monohydrate in distilled water
into each animal into one of the marginal veins of their ear at dosage rate of
150 mg /Kg body weight. The diabetes mellitus usually develops within a week in
the rabbits. Eight days after injection, the blood glucose levels of the
surviving rabbits were estimate. Rabbits with blood glucose above 200 mg/100ml
were considered as diabetic.
The procedure for collection of blood was adopted as
described by Akhtar et al5.
The blood glucose estimation was done by the method of Winkers and Jacob10
using the O-toludine reagent. Blood total lipids
estimation was done using a total lipid kit (Merckotest
® 3321).
The possible toxic effects of
the extract were studied on rabbits of a local strain weighing between 0.9-1.8
kg. The rabbits were divided into 5 groups of ten each. Group I, served as
control and received 15 ml of water only. Groups 2-5 received the
alcoholic extract of Ficus relegiosa
dissolved in 15ml of water in doses of 200, 250 and 300-mg/kg body weight
respectively. They were kept under observation for 7 days. The animals were
also
closely
examined for signs of
restlessness, excitement, intoxication and behavioral
changes 10.
Mean
percent blood glucose were expressed as
mg/100 ml + standard error in all experiments and Student’s
‘t’ test was used to check their significance.
The
effects of different doses of the extract of Ficus relegiosa and tolbutamide on
blood glucose levels of normoglycaemic rabbits are
shown in Table 1and 11.
The
observations show that water used as control in these experiments did not show
any significant change (P>0.05) on blood glucose levels of normal rabbits.
The
mean percent decreases in blood glucose levels produced by 200 mg/Kg of Ficus relegiosa extract at 1,2,3
and 4 hours were 26.72 ± 0.68, 27.86 ± 0.93, 35.91 ± 0.69 and 4.62 ± 2.41 respectively. The mean percent decreases are significant (P>0.05) at 1,2 and 3 hours,
while non significant (P>0.05) at 4 hours.
The mean percent decreases in
blood glucose levels produced by 250 mg/Kg of Ficus relegiosa extract at 1,2,3 and 4 hours were 31.51 ± 0.81, 35.91 ± 0.90, 49.26 ± 0.73 and 5.36 ± 0.79 respectively. The mean percent decreases are
significant (P>0.05) at 1,2 and 3 hours, while non
significant (P>0.05) at 4 hours.
The
mean percent decreases in blood glucose levels produced by 350 mg/Kg of Ficus relegiosa extract at 1,2,3
and 4 hours were 38.57 ± 0.81, 49.51 ± 0.74, 61.50 ± 0.73 and 5.51 ± 0.74 respectively. The mean percent decreases are significant (P>0.05) at 1,2 and 3 hours,
while non significant (P>0.05) at 4 hours.
The
mean percent decreases in blood glucose levels produced by 500mg/Kg of tolbutamide at 1,2,3 and 4 hours were 10.2 ± 0.83, 16.8 ± 0.92, 18.3 ± 0.83 and 22.3 ± 0.86 respectively which are significant (P< 0.05) at 2,3 and 4 hours.
The alcoholic extract of the leaves of Ficus relegiosa in various doses
had no significant effect on blood glucose levels in alloxan
diabetic rabbits (data not shown).
The tolbutamide
used in a dose of 500 mg/kg had no significant effect on blood glucose levels
in alloxan diabetic rabbits (data not shown).
The
alcoholic extract of the leaves of Ficus relegiosa in various doses had no significant effect on
total lipid levels in normoglycaemic as well as in alloxan diabetic rabbits (data not shown).
|
Time
interval (Hours) |
Blood
glucose in mg/ 100ml |
||||
|
––––– |
Control |
Tolbutamide |
Ficus relegiosa |
||
|
––––– |
––––– |
(500mg/Kg) |
(200mg/Kg) |
(250mg/Kg) |
(350mg/Kg) |
|
0 |
93.6±1.42 (6) |
91.7±2.14 (6) |
89.7±5.7 (6) |
92.8±5.46 (6) |
98.5±4.7 (6) |
|
1 |
93.3±1.43 (6) |
83.0±1.72 (6) |
66.8±4.3* (6) |
64.6±2.6* (6) |
61.62±3.1* (6) |
|
2 |
94.1±1.52 (6) |
77.3±1.61* (6) |
64.9±3.6* (6) |
60.8±2.7* (6) |
51.2±1.65* (6) |
|
3 |
93.2±1.54 (6) |
76.5±1.48* (6) |
58.6±3.26* (6) |
48.3±2.14* (6) |
39.3±1.22* (6) |
|
4 |
93.2±1.45 (6) |
72.5±1.31 (6) |
86.3±4.7* (6) |
88.7±4.6 (6) |
93.8±3.65 (6) |
Figures
in parenthesis indicate number of animals, Each value
represents the mean ± standard error
*
indicates significant change
|
Time
interval (Hours) |
Control |
Tolbutamide |
Ficus relegiosa |
||
|
––––––– |
––––––– |
(500mg/Kg) |
(200mg/Kg) |
(250mg/Kg) |
(350mg/Kg) |
|
1 |
0.39 ± 0.11 (6) |
10.2 ± 0.83 (6) |
26.72 ± 0.68 (6) |
31.51± 0.81 (6) |
38.57 ± 0.81 (6) |
|
2 |
0.51± 0.13 (6) |
16.8 ± 0.92 (6) |
27.86 ± 0.93 (6) |
3591 ± 0.90 (6) |
49.51± 0.74 (6) |
|
3 |
0.43± 0.08 (6) |
18.3 ± 0.83 (6) |
35.91± 0.69 (6) |
49.26± 0.73 |
61.50± 0.73 (6) |
|
4 |
0.45± 0.12 (6) |
22.3± 0.86 (6) |
4.62± 2.41 (6) |
5.36± 0.79 (6) |
5.51± 0.74 (6) |
Figures
in parenthesis indicate number of animals, Each value
represents the mean ± standard error
The
present study revealed that the alcoholic extract of the Ficus
relegiosa produced a significant (P< 0.05) hypoglycaemic effect
when administered orally to normal rabbits. This effect is short lived and
lasts only for 3 hours after which the blood glucose is back to normal. The
extract of Ficus relegiosa,
however, did not show any significant (P>0.05) effect on blood glucose
levels of alloxan-treated rabbits. For comparison,
the effect of the standard hypoglycaemic drug tolbutamide (500 mg/kg) was observed on the blood glucose
levels off normal and alloxan treated diabetic
rabbits. Tolbutamide produced significant (P<0.05)
hypoglycaemic effect in normal rabbits but not in alloxan treated rabbits. This finding is in accordance with
the observations of Augusti and Benaim2
and Akhtar et al11.
Sulphonylureas,
including tolbutamide, have been reported to produce hypoglycaemia by stimulating the pancreatic b cells to release more insulin in to the blood stream,
thus increasing glycogen deposition in the liver, causing a reduction of
glycogen levels, and having an extra pancreatic effect to possibly increase the
number of insulin receptors 12.
In view of the similarity
between the effects of tolbutamide and Ficus relegiosa, it may be likely
that the hypoglycaemic effect of Ficus
relegiosa also be medicated through the release of
insulin from the pancreatic b cells. A similar mechanism has been proposed to explain the hypoglycaemic effect in normal rabbits of other indigenous
plants such as Momordica foetida
3, Momordica charantia
5, Eriobotrya
japonica13and Acacia arabica 14.
Diabetes
mellitus is often associated with hyperlipidaemia15. Thus, blood
total lipids were also estimated in normal and alloxan
diabetic rabbits after oral administration of alcoholic extract of the leaves
of Ficus relegiosa, which
significantly reduce the blood glucose levels but not blood total lipid levels
in normal rabbits. The total blood lipids were markedly increased in alloxan diabetic rabbits, but were not lowered by the
extract of Ficus relegiosa.
Similarly tolbutamide had no significant effect in
lowering the total lipids in normal as normal as well as in alloxan
diabetic rabbits.
However,
the reason for the short duration of action of the extract remains to be
established.
Acute
toxicity studies did not reveal visible signs and symptoms of toxicity.
1.
Said, M, Hamdard Pharmacopoeia of Eastern Medicine, 2nd
ed. Hamdard National Foundation,
2.
Augusti KT, Benaim ME. Effect of essential
oil of onion (APDS) on blood glucose, free fatty acids and insulin levels of
normal subjets. Clin Chim Act 1975; 60:121-123.
3.
Marquis VO, Adanlwo TA, Olaniyi AA. The
effect of foetidin from Momordica
foetida on blood glucose of albino rats. Planta Med. 1977; 31: 367-74.
4.
Khan AKA, Akhtar MS, Mehtab H. The
treatment of diabetes mellitus with Coccinia indica. British Med Jour 1980;280:1044-46.
5.
Akhtar MS, Athar MA, Yaqub M. Effect of Momordica charantia on blood glucose levels of normal and alloxan diabetic rabbits, Planta
Med. 1981;42: 205-12.
6.
Akhtar MS, Ali MR. Study of hypoglycemic activity of Cuminum nigrum seeds in normal
and alloxan diabetic rabbits. Planta
Med 1985; 51: 81-5.
7.
William, D, Pharmacographica Indica, P-415; Hamdard National Foundation,
8.
Brahmchari, HD, Augusti, KT. Pharmacological
screening of medicinal plants. Indian Journal Physiol
Pharmacol 1992;8(1) 60-64
9.
Qayum A, Ahmed N, Ahmed KD, Khattak
SG. Pharmacological screening of medicinal plants. J Pak Med Assoc 1982; 32:
103-5.
10. Winckers J. Blood glucose its determination. In: Varley practical clinical Biochemistry by 5th
ed. London Heinemann, 1980; 396-7
11. Akhtar MS, Khan QM, Khaliq T.
Effect of Euporrbia Prostrata
and Fumaria parvifora in normoglycaemic and alloxan-treated
hyperglycemic rabbits. Planta Med 1984; 66:138-42.
12. John HK,
13. Wadood N, Wadood A, Hidayat HK, Wahid SWA. Effect on Eriobotrya
japonica on blood glucose levels of normal and alloxan
diabetic rabbits. Planta Med 1988;25:1-6.
14. Wadood A, Wadood N, Shah SAW.
Effects of Acacia arabica and Caralluma
edulis on blood glucose levels of normal and alloxan diabetic rabbits. J Pak Med Assoc 1989; 39:208-12.
15. Jim, M, and ball, M, Hyperlipidaemia,
Med J. Inter. 1985; 5; 580-584
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Address
for correspondence
Dr
Noreen Wadood, Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics,