Original Research Article Improvement in Glucose Tolerance due to Tinospora Cordifolia (Willd.)

Background: As an alternative medicine to treat diabetes mellitus, many herbal drugs are being studied throughout the world. In the present study, an attempt was made to investigate the effect of Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) on glucose tolerance in streptozotocin diabetic albino rats as well as type II diabetic patients. Primary study objective: To study the effect of aqueous extract of Tinospora cordifolia on glucose tolerance in type II diabetic patients and streptozotocin diabetic albino rats to explore the probable mechanism by which it acts as an anti diabetic drug, by measuring serum insulin levels and by studying histology of endocrine pancreas. Methods: Oral glucose tolerance test and serum insulin concentration was studied in twenty four non-insulin dependent diabetics and same number of streptozotocin induced diabetic albino rats. An aqueous extract of Tinospora cordifolia in two different dosages (200 mg / kg b.w and 400 mg / kg b.w) was given orally to the different groups of animals and th