Abstract

Antidiabetic Activity of Aqueous Extract of Sonchus asper Used As Anti-Hyperglycemic Herb in Kenya

Author(s): Njeri LK, Eliud NM Njagi, George O Orinda

Medicinal plants have been shown to manage diabetes mellitus. Sonchus asper is a medicinal herb that has been used in folk medicine to manage diabetes mellitus however there no scientific evaluation regarding its efficacy. This study aimed at establishing in vivo antidiabetic effect of S. asper in male albino mice. The antidiabetic effect of aqueous plant extract of S. asper was investigated in diabetic mice. The plant extract was accessed for antidiabetic effect by both oral and intraperitoneal administration. The experiment used 8 groups (5 mice in each) of mice in either route of administration. Decrease in plasma glucose relative to the initial values was determined after intraperitoneal and oral administration of S. asper aqueous extract at 25, 48.4, 93.5, 180.9, and 350 mg/kg. The reference drugs used in the study were 1 IU/kg insulin (intraperitoneal) and 200 mg/kg glibenclamide (oral). Blood sugar level was measured before administering the drug then repeated at the interval of two hours (for 10 hours) after drug administration and at 24 hours post drug administration. Significant reduction in blood glucose relative to their initial values was determined for all treated diabetic groups at the end of experiment. Screening of the phytochemicals present in extract was by use of standard procedures. The extract administered intraperitoneally and orally demonstrated antihyperglycemic potential. The observed antihyperglycemic is associated by the phytochemicals which were present in the extract. The results indicate that V. lasiopus is promising in development of phytomedicine for the management of diabetes mellitus. PDF