PA01.07. Evaluation of anti hyperglycemic potential of piper longum root (linn.) On alloxan induced diabetic mice

PURPOSE: Since the Vedic age's ayurvedic system of medicine has been known for its exemplary value in the treatment of various ailments. Diabetes is a chronic medical condition, characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose (hyperglycemia) leading to spillage of glucose into the urine. Owing to the increasing incidence of side effects associated with synthetic oral hypoglycemic agents, ayurvedic medicines have started to gain importance in antidiabetic therapy. Present study was aimed to isolate and evaluate the antidiabetic activity of phytoconstituents from Piper longum (popularly known as pipali in the ayurvedic literature) dried roots in alloxan induced diabetic mice. METHOD: Diabetes mellitus was induced in overnight fasted (12h) Albino mice by single intraperitonial injection of freshly prepared solution of alloxain monohydrate (150mg/kg BW) in physiological saline followed by administration of 5% glucose in their drinking water for the first 24 h to counter any initial hypoglycemia. Treatment with appropriate dose of ethanol extract of Piper longum started 7days after alloxan injection. At the end of the selected period of study the blood glucose level, body weight and lipid profile was evaluated and the data obtained was compared with those obtained for normal control and diabetic control. All the data were subjected to ANOVA test. RESULT: Bioactive Piper longum extract, on evaluation demonstrated significant decline in blood glucose content (P<0.05), along with significantly improved lipid profile in alloxan induced diabetic mice. Also an improvement was observed in glycogen content and serum insulin content in the mice fed on the bioactive extract compared to the control mice. The extract also was found to counteract weight loss associated with diabetes. CONCLUSION: The study thus concludes that Piper longum extract has a potential hypoglycemic efficacy therefore justifying its use as antidiabetic agent.