Renu Uniyal, V. Kalra, P. Soni
2013
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Journal Of Advance Researches In Medical Sciences
Abstract
Epicatechin, a naturally occurring flavonoid compound found in many medicinal herbs, has been experimentally shown to have antidiabetogenic and insulin like action. This study aimed to substantiate the beneficial antidiabetic effects of catechins derived from the plant Uncaria gambier, and to compare the effects with that of catechins derived from another plant Acacia catechu. Kattha and purified catechins obtained from both these plant species were administered orally at a daily dose of 3000 mg/kg body weight to Swiss mice of either sex for one, three and six months duration. Both kattha and catechins from Uncaria gambir as well as from Acacia catechu caused reduction in the circulating concentration of blood glucose, but did not lower them to overtly hypoglycemic levels. The kattha from both species had a greater glucose lowering effect as compared to their respective purified catechin fractions. On the whole, the glucose lowering action was greater in the extract obtained from Acacia catechu than that of Uncaria gambier. The concentration of glycogen stored in the liver of treated mice was significantly increased as compared with controls. This increase corresponded inversely with the decrease in blood glucose,thus emphasizing the antidiabetogenic nature of (-) epicatechin in the crude as well as purified forms.