Effect of five Chinese traditional medicinal plants on lowering blood glucose level to mice

Authors Li Weilin; Wu Julan; Ren Bingru; Guo Ronglin; Zhou Ailing; Zheng Hanchen

Journal Journal of Plant Resources and Environment , ,:

Abstract Pharmacological experiments of Gnura divaricatium O. Hoffm., Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb., Prunella vulgaris L., Ligustrum lucidum Ait. and Ilex cornuta Lindl. et Paxt. on lowering blood glucose were carried out. The water and 95% ethanol extracts (0.2 and 0.4 g/kg) from fresh herbs of G. divaricatium showed remarkable effects on lowering blood glucose level to normal mice, in which the dose 0.4 g/kg of the 95% ethanol extracts showed more efficiency than glyburide. The 95% ethanol extracts (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g/kg) from dried herbs of G. divaricatium could obviously decrease blood glucose to alloxan diabetic mice, in which the dose 2.0 g/kg of it showed equivalent effect as same as 0.1 g/kg phenformin. The doses 30 and 60 g/kg of the boiled water extracts from A. pilosa possessed a remarkable effect on lowering blood glucose level to normal mice, while its 95% ethanol extracts (30, 60 and 120 g/kg) played certain role in lowering blood glucose level to alloxan diabetic mice. The 95% ethanol extracts from P. vulgaris (30, 60 and 120 g/kg) and L. lucidum (11.25 and 22.50 g/kg) all exerted some effects on lowering blood glucose level to alloxan diabetic mice. However, the n-butanol extracts from I. cornuta (30 and 60 g/kg) had no effect on decreasing blood glucose level to both alloxan diabetic mice and normal mice. The results showed G. divaricatium was an outstanding plant worthy to be utilized to develop medicines for diabetes mellitus.

Species covered 夏枯草(变种) Prunella vulgaris 女贞 Ligustrum lucidum 龙芽草 Agrimonia pilosa 枸骨 Ilex cornuta