COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CHEMICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS OF FOUR SELECTED MEDICINAL PLANTS AND EVALUATION OF ANTIDIABETIC PROPERTIES OF AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF TRIGONELLA FOENUM-GRAECUM AND COMBINATION OF TRIGONELLA FOENUM-GRAECUM – MOMORDICA CHARANTIA

The present study was designed to compare the chemical and phytochemical compositions of Momordica charantia, Azadira chtaindica, Trigonella foenum-graecum and Phyllanthus emblica and subsequently, antidiabetic activities of T. foenum-graecum and a combination of polyherbal extract of T. foenum-graecum and M. charantia were evaluated on alloxan induced diabetic mice. The proximate and phytochemical compositions of the plants were quantitatively determined using standard methods. In order to evaluate antidiabetic activity, normal and alloxan induced diabetic mice were orally administered 0.5 mL aqueous extract of T. foenum-graecumand combination of T. foenum-graecum – M. charantia once per day for 7 days. These two plants were selected for antidiabetic activity based on their high phytochemical contents. A near normal blood glucose value of 98.5 ± 0.2 mg / 100mL and 97.02 ± 0.55 mg / 100 mL was observed in the 7^th and 5^th day experimental animals after administration of T. foenum-graecum and T. foenum-graecum – M. charantia, respectively and remained at the same level even after further oral administration. Consequently, it is evident that compared with single extract of T. foenum-graecum, the combined polyherbal extract of T. foenum-graecum – M. charantia promptly lowered blood glucose and maintained a relatively steady level over the study period. However, there was no change in blood glucose levels of control animals subsequent to administration of either extracts of T. foenum-graecum or T. foenum-graecum – M. charantia