Hypolipidemic Activity of Leaves and Fruits of Ficus bengalensis in Alloxan
Induced Diabetic Rats
Sonali Khare*, Mukul
Tailang, Amrish Sharma
and Tripti Shukla
People’s Institute of
Pharmacy and Research Centre, Bhopal Bhanpur Road,
Bhopal-462 037 (M.P.)
ABSTRACT:
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder and
associated with many other metabolic functional alterations1. The
bark of Ficus bengalensis
and other plants are reported as antidiabeticand hypolipidemic due to presence of flavonoids
and sterols2. Based on literature survey, tribal
information and chemical constituents, the present study is undertaken to
observe the hypolipidemic potential of leaves and
fruits of Ficus bengalensis because they also contain the same
active constituents. Hence, the leaves and fruits may have same activity like
bark. To study the object, different doses of ethanolic
extract of leaves and fruits of Ficus bengalensis was given to alloxan
induced diabetic rats.
KEYWORDS: Ficus bengalensis, hypolipidemic, antidiabetic, alloxan, flavonoids, sterol.
INTRODUCTION:
Diabetic mellitus is heterogeneous
primary disorder of carbohydrate metabolism with multiple etiological factors,
it generally involves absolute or relative insulin deficiency, or insulin
resistance, or both3. NIDDM has also been associated with an
increased risk for premature atherosclerosis due to increase in triglyceride
and cholesterol levels. About 70-80% of deaths in diabetic patients are due to
vascular diseases. An ideal treatment of diabetes should cover drug that not
only controls the glycemic level but also prevents
the development of arteriosclerosis and other complications of diabetes4.
Long before the use of synthetic drugs,
indigenous remedies were used for the treatment of diabetic mellitus and hyperlipidemia. There has been an increasing demand from
patient for the use of natural products with antidiabetic
and antihyperlipidemic activity. The undesirable side
effects and contraindications of synthetic drugs, and the fact that they are
not suitable for use during pregnancy, have made scientists look towards hypolipidemic agents of plant origin5. Many
herbs and plant products have been shown to have antihyperglycemic
and antihyperlipidemic action6,7.
Ficus bengalensis, banyan tree commonly known as “Bargad” or “Vat” is an evergreen very
large tree reaching 30m high; sending down many aerial roots from the branches
and thus extending the growth of the tree indefinitely. It is widely planted or
self sown along roadsides, in lawns and gardens, also found in the cervices of
old walls8.
The aerial roots of Ficus bengalensis
are reported as useful in obstinate vomiting, leucorrhoea, bark in diarrhea,
dysentery, diabetes, skin diseases, leaves are good for ulcers, leprosy,
allergic conditions of skin, and fruits are refrigerant and tonic.
Banyan
tree contains ketones, sterols, ficusin
and bergaptin9.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Leaves and fruits of Ficus
bengalensis were collected from the tree of Kamla Nehru Park, BHEL, Bhopal in
the month of Feb-March. The plant parts were identified and authenticated by
Head, Department Of Pharmacy, Barkatullah University,
Bhopal (BUPH-4015). The materials were washed, cleaned
properly to remove foreign material and contamination by using water. Leaves
and fruits were dried in shade for 15-20 days. Dried plant material was
pulverized to coarse powder form and subjected to further studies.
Drugs and Chemicals: The
coarse powder of leaves and fruits of Ficus bengalensis was macerated with Ethanol for 24 hours and
extracted. Alloxan monohydrate was used as obtained
from CDH chemical company. All other chemicals used were of analytical grade.
Animals: Healthy and 2-3 month old albino Wistar
rats of either sex (weighing 140-160 gm)10
were procured from DRDE, Gwalior and maintained at 24-28 0C throughout
the experiment. All the animals were fed on standard diet and water ad-libitum and maintained in large spacious polypropylene
cages and well-ventilated animal house with 12-hour dark and light cycle.
Alloxan monohydrate, 150 mg/kg10 was freshly
prepared as 5 % w/v solution13 in sterile water and a single dose
injected intraperitoneally to overnight fasted
animals. After 72 hours11of alloxan
administration, animals with moderate diabetes having glycosuria,
hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia (i.e. with blood
glucose level of 200-300 mg/kg) were taken for experiment.12
Preparation and Administration of
Extract and Standard drug:
Since the alcoholic extracts of fruits
and leaves were not freely soluble in water, stock suspensions were prepared in
0.3 % CMC.11 Two different doses (100mg\kg and 250 mg\kg)13
of each extract were given orally to selected group of animals once daily throughout the
experiment Glibenclamide at a dose of 600 μg/kg10 was used as standard drug.. The
specified dose of Glibenclamide in 0.3 % CMC was
given orally, once daily throughout the experiment.
Experimental design:
In the experiment a total number of 54
rats (36 diabetic surviving rats, 18 normal rats) were used. The rats were
divided into 9 groups of 6 rats each. The rats of group 1, group 8 and group 9
were normal while the rats of group 2 to group 7 were diabetic surviving. The
treatment was carried out for 30 days. All the drugs were given orally, once,
daily to the rats in 0.3% CMC i.e. vehicle.
Group 1: Vehicle
Control: - Normal rats treated with vehicle alone.
Group 2: Diabetic Control: - Diabetic rats treated with vehicle alone.
Group 3: Std. drug treated: - Diabetic rats treated with Glibenclamide,
600μg/kg.
Group 4: Diabetic+Leaf
Extract: - Diabetic rats treated with
leaf extract, 100 mg/kg.
Group 5: Diabetic+Leaf
Extract: - Diabetic rats treated with leaf extract, 250 mg/kg.
Group 6: Diabetic+Fruit
extract: - Diabetic rats treated with
fruit extract, 100 mg/kg.
Group 7: Diabetic+Fruit
extract: - Diabetic rats treated with
fruit extract, 250mg/kg.
Group 8: Leaf
extract alone: - Normal rats
treated with leaf extract, 250
mg/kg.
Group 9: Fruit extract alone: - Normal rats treated with fruit extract, 250 mg/kg.
The treatment was carried out for 30
days, At day 1, day 15 and day 30 the animals were deprived of food
overnight and about 1ml of blood was collected through sino-ocular
puncher in a centrifuge tube containing anticoagulant (10% sodium citrate
solution) and the plasma was separated by centrifugation at 3000 rpm for 10
minutes and immediately used for biochemical assays. All the biochemical
parameters (blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglyceride) were analyzed
using standard procedures in Autoanalyzer.13
Percent reduction of glucose, total
cholesterol and triglyceride were calculated as function of time by applying
the formula:
Go - Gx
% reduction = X
100
Go
Where, Go
= Initial values
Gx = Values at x
minutes time interval
Statistical analysis:
Values were represented as means ± S.D.
for 6 animals in each group. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of
variance (ANOVA). Individual groups were compared critically.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
In
screening antihyperlipidemic activity in rats alloxan was used as toxicant,
which has been known to induce diabetes mellitus in experimental animals,
induce hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. Induction of
diabetes in rats was confirmed as a significant rise in blood glucose,
cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Ficus
bengalensis fruit extract was found to reverse
this effect to some extent, when given orally, daily for 30 days. The effect of
extract is compared with a clinically used sulphonyl
urea derivative, Glibenclamide. It is known to lower
lipid and blood glucose level by stimulating, β-cells to release insulin.
It is used in present study to compare the efficacy of the test drug in normal
and alloxanized diabetic rats.
Values
were represented as mean ± S.D. for 6 animals in each group. Data were analyzed
using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The nine groups were compared
critically at P< 0.001 with each other.
Table 1
and Figure 1 depict the levels of cholesterol on different groups of rats on
day 1, 15 and 30. The level of
cholesterol was significantly (p< 0.001) increased in diabetic control group
(Gr.2) as compared to vehicle control group (Gr.1). On 30 days administration
of fruit extract of Ficus bengalensis (100 and 250 mg/kg body wt.,
Gr.6 and Gr.7 respectively) and standard drug, Glibenclamide
(Gr.3) significantly (p< 0.001) decreased the cholesterol level as compared
to diabetic control group (Gr.2), while they were found to be insignificantly
different when compared to standard drug group (Gr.3). 250mg/kg and 100mg/kg
(Gr.5 and Gr.4 respectively) of leaf extract were found to be ineffective to
decrease diabetic Cholesterol level in rats as there was insignificant (p<
0.001) difference when compared with diabetic control group (Gr.2).
The groups
treated with extract alone, at a dose of 250 mg/kg of leaf and fruit extract
(Gr.8 and Gr.9) found to be insignificant when compared with vehicle control
group (Gr.1).
Table 1
and Figure 3 depict the % reduction in Cholesterol level on 30 days continuous
administration of Ficus bengalensis, leaf
and fruit extracts. The percent reduction of Cholesterol level was highest for
standard drug, Glibenclamide i.e. 26.22%. For
250mg/kg and 100mg/kg of fruit extract, it was 21.36 % and 18.35 % respectively
and for 250mg/kg and 100mg/kg of leaf extract, it was 1.29% and 1.08%
respectively. In case of leaf and fruit extract alone (250mg/kg), the percent
reduction was 0.75% and -3.10% respectively.
Table 2
and Figure 3 depict the levels of Triglyceride on different groups of rats on
day 1, 15 and 30. The level of
Triglyceride was significantly (p< 0.001) increased in diabetic control
group (Gr.2) as compared to vehicle control group (Gr.1). 30 days
administration of leaf and fruit extract of
Ficus bengalensis (100
and 250 mg/kg body wt. Gr. 4 and Gr.5,
Gr.6 and Gr.7 respectively) and standard drug, Glibenclamide
(Gr.3) significantly (p< 0.001) decreased the Triglyceride level as compared
to diabetic control group (Gr.2), but only 100mg/kg and 250mg/kg of food extract (Gr.6 and Gr.7)
have insignificant difference when compared with standard drug group (Gr.3),
means both the doses of fruit extract were found to be as effective as standard
drug to decrease diabetic Triglyceride level.
The groups
treated with extract alone, at a dose of 250 mg/kg of leaf and fruit extract
(Gr.8 and Gr.9) found to be insignificant when compared with vehicle control
group (Gr.1).
Table 2
and Figure 4 depict the percentage reduction in Triglyceride level on 30 days
continuous administration of Ficus bengalensis, leaf and fruit extracts. The percent
reduction of Triglyceride level was highest for standard drug, Glibenclamide i.e. 49.69%. For 250mg/kg and 100mg/kg of
fruit extract, it was 18.92% and 14.58% respectively and for 250mg/kg and
100mg/kg of leaf extract, it was 14.75% and 13.73% respectively. In case of
leaf and fruit extract alone (250mg/kg), the percent reduction was -0.38% and
0.67% respectively.
CONCLUSION:
After
the study, we are concluding that medicinal plants play an important role in
lives of people. The present work has been done to study the hypolipidemic effect of the roots and leaves extract of Ficus bengalensis in alloxan- induced diabetic rats. In this study, diabetic
rats were observed to have increased plasma lipid level which is responsible
for several cardiovascular disorders also. Leaves and fruits of Ficus bengalensis
were found effective for lowering the lipid level, in which fruit was found
more effective as compared to the other part i.e. leaf and 250 mg/kg dose of
fruit was more effective as compared to 100 mg/kg dose of the same. But, fruit
part is not as effective as standard drug. Although numerous herbs are reported
to possess some degree of anti diabetic and antihyperlipidemic
activity, but a significant amount of research is still required to detect and
isolate the compounds responsible for hypolipidemic
activity present in Ficus bengalensis.
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