Effect of Thespesia populnea Linn. on dexamethasone induced insulin resistance in mice

Abstract

In traditional medicine, plants have been used to treat diabetes mellitus as valuable alternative therapy since synthetic oral hypoglycemic agents are known to exhibit adverse side effects. The present study was planned to investigate the effect of ethanolic extract of bark of Thespesia populnea Linn (TP) on plasma glucose, serum triglyceride and body weight in dexamethasone-induced insulin resistance in mice. The animals were divided into diabetic and non-diabetic groups consisting of six animals in each group. TP was administered at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg per oral (p.o.) in mice which were concomitantly treated with pre-standardized dose of dexamethasone (1 mg/kg intramuscular (i.m.)) for 22 days and effect on plasma glucose, serum triglyceride level and change in body weight were recorded. TP showed significant decrease in plasma glucose (p<0.01), serum triglyceride (p<0.01) levels and significant increase in body weight (p<0.01) as compared to dexamethasone control group. This study revealed that the ethanolic extract of bark of T. populnea may prove to be effective in the treatment of insulin resistance owing to its ability to decrease peripheral insulin resistance and can be used in the treatment of type-II diabetes mellitus. Key words: Thespesia populnea, dexamethasone, insulin resistance.