Abstract

ORAL GLUCOSE TOLERANCE AND ANALGESIC ACTIVITY TESTS WITH AERIAL PARTS OF CORCHORUS AESTUANS L.

Auditi Swarna, Emad Hossain, Nazmul Karim, Md. Mofidul Islam, Mohammed Rahmatullah*

ABSTRACT

Background. Corchorus aestuans is grown in Bangladesh for its fiber, which is used in making bags, carpets, and rugs. It was of interest to determine the antihyperglycemic and analgesic properties of aerial parts of the plant. Methods. Antihyperglycemic activity was determined through oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT). Analgesic activity was determined by observed decreases in abdominal constrictions (writhings) in intraperitoneally administered acetic acid-induced pain model in mice. Results. Administration of methanol extract of aerial parts led to dose-dependent reductions in blood glucose levels in glucose-loaded mice. At doses of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg per kg body weight, the extract, significantly and dose-dependently, reduced blood glucose levels by 15.8, 29.0, 41.1, and 49.2%, respectively compared to control animals. By comparison, a standard antihyperglycemic drug, glibenclamide, when administered at a dose of 10 mg per kg body weight, reduced blood glucose level by 49.2%. In analgesic activity tests, the extract at doses of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg per kg body weight significantly and dose-dependently reduced the number of abdominal constrictions by 31.0, 37.9, 55.2, and 62.1%, respectively. A standard pain relieving (analgesic) drug, aspirin, reduced the number of writhings by 34.5 and 55.2%, respectively, when administered at doses of 200 and 400 mg per kg body weight. Conclusion. The aerial parts of the plant can be beneficial in lowering blood glucose and for alleviating pain.

Keywords: Antihyperglycemic, Corchorus aestuans, analgesic, Tiliaceae.