ANTIDIABETIC EFFECT OF MIXTURE OF CYATHEA NILGIRIENSIS (HOLTTUM) AND PTEROCARPUS MARSUPIUM ROXB. IN STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED DIABETIC RAT MODEL

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder of the endocrine system and becoming a serious threat to mankind’s health in all parts of the world. Herbal remedies are considered convenient for management of diabetes due to their traditional acceptability, availability, and less side effects than oral hypoglycaemic agents. Thus, the present study aims to test the toxic and antidiabetic effect of a traditionally used herbal mixture of C. nilgiriensis and P. marsupium in STZ induced diabetic rats. No mortality, abnormal behaviour, and physiological changes were noted in all doses of herbal mixture treated rats and did not cause any toxic oriented effects even in the high dose during toxicity studies. Thus 200 mg/kg bwt dose of the herbal mixture was selected to evaluate their antidiabetic activity. Herbal mixture treated rats exhibited a significant reduction in blood glucose level (One way ANOVA, f₃,₁₂ =525.78; p<0.005), HbA₁c level (One way ANOVA, f₃,₁₂= 87.35; p<0.005), and a significant increase in serum insulin level (One way ANOVA, f₃,₁₂=418.0; p<0.005). The herbal mixture also proved its antidiabetic efficiency by restoring the tissue damages in the pancreas, liver, and kidney of diabetic rats.