Antihyperglycaemic effects and antioxidant capacity of Andrographis Paniculata (hempedu bumi) in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common health problems worldwide and the prevalence of this chronic illness rises each year. Majority of treatments for diabetes that are available are focusing on controlling the disease. Thus, there are many attempts to develop safe and effective method for treatment of diabetes due to considerable side effects caused by synthetic drugs used as main treatment for diabetes. Therefore, herbal remedies are used as an alternative treatment. Andrographis Paniculata (AP) or commonly known as hempedu bumi in Malaysia has been used traditionally as diabetes treatment, taken orally by water concoction. In this study, antihyperglycaemic effects and antioxidant capacity of AP towards diabetes rats were investigated and measured. A number of forty male Sprague Dawley rats (SDR) were used. Thirty of them were administered with as a single dose of Streptozotocin (STZ, 70 mg/kg) intraperitoneally to induce experimental diabetes. Rats was randomized into four groups (n = 10) consist of normal group (non diabetic), diabetic control (untreated), diabetic treated with AP (500mg/kg bodyweight) and diabetic treated with Metformin with the same dosage. The fresh leaves of AP was dried and extracted via cold maceration using 100% ethanol and later evaporated to become crude extract. Subsequently, blood glucose level was observed and monitored on day 0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 while isoprostane (biomarker for oxidative stress) level was measured on the 30th day of the study using commercially available ELISA kit (Elabsience Biotechnology Co., Ltd, China). Diabetic rats treated with ethanolic extracts of AP showed significant (p<0.05) reduction in blood glucose level compared to untreated group. However, diabetic rats treated with AP showed insignificant reduction of isoprostane level in serum when compared to untreated diabetic rats due to several factors. Thus, the study outcome have successfully proved the antihyperglycaemic effects of AP while further investigation need to be done to improve the immunoassay technique using isoprostane to assesses the antioxidant capacity of AP.