EFFECT OF INGREDIENTS OF A LOCAL ANTIDIABETIC FORMULATION IN ENHANCING THE ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITY OF SALACIA RETICULATA IN ALLOXAN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Salacia reticulata, used in traditional and local medicines in Western Ghats of Southern India for the treatment of hyperglycaemia, is widely used for its sugar lowering activity. Accordingly, the present study was designed to investigate the possible actions of ethanolic extract of roots of Salacia reticulate (EESR) and an ethanolic extract of local formulation (EELF) made by mixing roots of Salacia reticulata along with five other drugs, each one in equal ratios, namely heartwood of Pterocarpus marsupium, stem of Tinospora cordifolia, fruits of Phyllanthus emblica, roots of Vetiveria zizanioides, and heartwood of Acacia catechu, on sugar lowering effect of diabetic rats. In the first set of experiments, hypoglycaemic effects of oral administration at various doses (50 and 100mg/kg) of the both extracts (EESR & EELF) were examined in normoglycaemics, glucose-induced hyperglycaemic rats. Optimum effect was observed in all groups of animals with a dose of 100mg/kg of the extracts (EESR & EELF). In other part of the study, both extracts (EESR & EELF) of 100mg/kg was given to alloxan induced hyperglycaemic rats  of different groups and blood sugar was recorded at an interval of 30 mins each for upto 360 mins to evaluate the intraday effect of EESR & EELF  on blood glucose level. The last set of experiments was done by giving twice in the morning and evening the EESR & EELF orally at a dose of 100mg/kg for 9 days to check the inter day effect of extracts (EESR & EELF) on blood glucose of diabetic rats. Both the intraday study and the interday study have shown a significant decrease in blood glucose level of the diabetic and normal rats with the help of extracts.  Both, intraday and interday study, have shown a rather more decrease in blood glucose level of both diabetic and normal rats, when treated with EELF, signifying the synergistic study of the other ingredients of the formulation on the blood lowering effect of Salacia reticulate