Abstract

ISEA FERNANDEZ, Gerardo Alberto; RODRIGUEZ RODRIGUEZ, Ilsen Emérita; SANCHEZ CAMARILLO, Egar Enrique  and  MONTERO URDANETA, Merilio Antonio. Hypoglycemic effect of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. and Phyllanthus niruri L. and their combined use in normal rats. Rev Cubana Plant Med [online]. 2011, vol.16, n.2, pp. 183-189. ISSN 1028-4796.

Introduction: both Phyllanthus niruri L. and Azadirachta indica A. Juss. are used in Venezuela on an empirical basis for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. It was considered important to verify the potential usefulness to face acute hyperglicemic condition; and taken into account some adverse effects of A. indica, to value possible synergic effects with P. niruri that allow reducing the dose and taking advantage of its therapeutic pharmacological action. Objectives: to assess the acute hypoglycemic or anti-hyperglycemic effect. Methods: aqueous extracts from A. indica leaves and the P. niruri plant were prepared first, then 70 g of vegetal material were weighted and placed into 200 mL of water at 55-60 ºC. Three courses of treatment were organized; two included each extract and the third based on the combination of equal portions of them. Each extract and the combination were measured their content of glycose in order to prepare glycoside solutions of 13.77, 21.54 and 18.82 mmol/L, which acted as controls of the therapies with A. indica, P. niruri and their combination. They were orally administered at a dose of 5 mL/300 g and compared before and after the administration. Likewise, glycemia was measured before and 2 hours after treatment. Results: in the comparison with its glycoside solution control, only the combination of extracts significantly reduced glycemia. As to the comparison before and after the administration, all the treatments managed to decrease in a significant way glycemia; however, in glycoside solution controls, there was not remarkable variation of glycemia. Conclusions: there was proved the hypoglyceemic effect of the whole P. niruri plant, leading to its validation as a Venezuelan traditional medicinal plant and the synergic effect that may be achieved with A, indica leaves was put forward.

Keywords : medicinal plants; hypoglycaemic substances; Azadirachta indica; Phyllanthus niruri.

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