Abstract
Author(s): Chinmay D Deshmukh*,andAnurekha Jain
The aim of present work is to study the hypoglycemic effect of methanolic extract of Citrulluslanatusseeds in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. The diabetes was induced by a single dose of STZ (65 mg/kg) in citrate buffer, while the normal control group was given the vehicle (citrate buffer) only. After three days of induction of diabetes, the diabetic animals were treated further four weeks with methanolic extract of Citrulluslanatusseeds (MECL) (200,400 and 600 mg/kg) and glibenclamide (4 mg/kg). Blood glucose estimation was performed every week of the study. Food and water consumption, urine output and urine frequency were observed every week in 24 hours. At the end of study period, animals were sacrificed to perform the histopathological study of liver, kidney and pancreatic tissue. STZ-induced diabetic rats showed marked hyperglycemia, along with polyphagia, polydipsia andpolyureathroughout the study period. Microscopically, liver tissue showed Kupffer cells activation, dilation and congestion of central vein and hepatic sinusoids.Kidney tissue showedglomerular lesions, irregular and widened capillariesand necrosis of tissues.Whereas pancreatic tissue showeddisrupted islets of Langerhans exhibiting hydrophobic cells, necrotic cells, vacuolizations andirregular hyperchromic nuclei.Severeand diffused inflammatory cell infiltration was observed in all tissues. The four-week treatment with methanolicextract of Citrulluslanatus(MECL) seeds (200, 400 and 600 mg/kg) significantly reduced the elevated fasting blood glucose level and recovery of polyphagia, polyurea and polydipsia in diabetic rats. Microscopically, there was attenuated morphological disturbance, reduction in necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration and thus further tissue damage in liver, kidney and pancreas. Thus, present study suggested the antidiabeticpotential of Citrulluslanatusseeds and thereby preventing otherrelated diabeticcomplications