Mechanisms behind hypoglycemic actions of butanol fraction of Azadirachta indica in a type 2 diabetes rat model

7th Edition of International Conference on Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants
March 11-12, 2019 London, UK

Olakunle Sanni and Md Shahidul Islam

University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Am J Ethnomed

DOI: 10.21767/2348-9502-C1-009

Abstract

The cost and side effects of oral hypoglycemic agents for the treatment and management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) has led to increase the use of natural medicines, particularly from medicinal plants. Hence the validation of the folkloric and use of these medicinal plants. In the present study, the mechanisms behind the antidiabetic effects of the butanol fraction of Azardirachta indica (A. indica) (BFAI) were evaluated. T2D was induced by feeding 10% fructose solution ad libitum for two weeks followed by an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg body weight) and the animals were treated with a low dose (150 mg/kg) and a high dose (300 mg/kg) of BFAI for 4 weeks as a single oral dose daily. Body weight and blood glucose were determined every week. Oral glucose tolerance test was performed in the last week of treatment. Insulin homeostasis and liver glycogen concentration were determined after 4 weeks of oral administration. Both doses of the fractions showed significant improvement of body weight, reduced blood glucose, stimulated insulin secretions, improved pancreatic β- cell function (HOMA-β), decreased insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and increased liver glycogen concentration compared to untreated diabetic rats, when high dose had a better activity. GC-MS analysis of the fraction revealed the presence of polyphenols. The results of this study suggest that, the polyphenols present in the fraction may be responsible for the antidiabetic effects which have been achieved via decreasing insulin resistance, modulating β-cell function, as well as by inhibiting of α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity.