Evaluation of the anti-diabetic potential of aqueous extract of Clerodendrum infortunatum L. in vivo in streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats

Diabetes Mellitus, the metabolic syndrome where the body either fails to produce or effectively utilize insulin, is associated with chronic morbidity. While a definitive cure for the disease is lacking, with the modern medicine offering mainly the means to control the extent of the disease, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAMs) offers additional/alternate means to tackle the disease. On the other hand, the lack of evidenced medical practices is a lacuna in most of the traditional medical applications. Clerodendrum infortunatum.L (Lamiaceae family), a perennial shrub found in the tropics, has been known for its numerous pharmacological properties and is found as a constituent in many Ayurvedic and Siddha drugs, especially for skin and respiratory ailments. The plant has a noted potential as anti-hyperglycemic and has been found to be used in traditional medicine for the treatment of diabetes. However, evidence based evaluations have not been conducted on the anti-hyperglycemic effect of the plant, especially with respect to the general mode of intake, i.e, the aqueous form. In the current study, the aqueous extract of C. infortunatum (CI), was scientifically assessed for its effect on streptozotocin induced diabetes in Wistar albino rats. The diabetic rats were divided into 5 groups of 6 animals each. For testing the efficacy of extracts, two groups were intra-orally provided with dosages of 200 mg/Kg and 400 mg/Kg of body weight of animals, respectively, of aqueous extracts of CI. Control groups were maintained for evaluation, which included vehicle control as well as with Glibenclamide, a standard anti-diabetic drug. The extracts at a dose of 400 mg/Kg body weight was found to be associated with significant amelioration of many of the diabetes induced conditions, suggesting that the plant extract could be a strong potential CAM candidate for therapeutic management of diabetes