ANTIDIABETIC, ANTIHYPERLIPIDAEMIC AND HEPATOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF WHOLE PLANT ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF BLEPHARIS REPENS (VAHL) ROTH IN NORMAL AND ALLOXAN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS
Blepharis repens (vahl) Roth belongs to family acanthaceae is a herb distributed throughout India, Srilanka and Africa. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antidiabetic potential of whole plant ethanolic extract of Blepharis repens (vahl) Roth in normal and alloxan induced diabetic rats. The Preliminary phytochemical screening shows the presence of carbohydrates, Alkaloids, phytosteroids, flavonoids, tannins, Saponins, fixed oils. Diabetes was induced in Albino rats by administration of alloxan monohydrate (150mg/kg, i.p).The Whole plant ethanol extract of Blepharis repens (vahl) Roth at a dose of 100 and 200mg/kg of body weight was administered at single dose per day to diabetes induced rats for a period of 21 days. The effect whole plant of ethanol extract of Blepharis repens (vahl) Roth on blood glucose, serum lipid profile [total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein – cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein – cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein – cholesterol (VLDL-C) and serum protein, albumin, globulin, serum enzymes [serum glutamate pyruvate transaminases(SGPT), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminases (SGOT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP)],were measured in the diabetic rats. The Whole plant ethanol extract of Blepharis repens (Vahl) Roth elicited significant reductions of blood glucose (P<0.05), lipid parameters except HDL-C, serum enzymes and significantly increased HDL-C at the dose of 200mg/kg was compared with the standard drug Glibenclamide 2.5gm/kg). From the above results, it is concluded that ethanol extract of whole plant Blepharis repens (vahl) Roth possesses significant antidiabetic, antihyperlipidaemic and hepatoprotective effects in alloxan induced diabetic rats.