Abstract

The proposed work deals with pharmacological evaluation of aqueous leaf extract of Epilobium parviflorum for antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic activity in high fat diet fructose streptozotocin induced type 2 Diabetes mellitus in albino wistar rats. The experimental protocol was designed on a total of 30 rats, equally divided into 5 groups (6 rats in each group). The high fat diet fructose was administered to all the groups except the normal control group throughout a 6 w study period. A low dose of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg body weight) is freshly prepared and administered intraperitoneally once after the initial 2 w of high fat diet fructose administration. The animals were observed for 1 w to induce diabetes. The two doses of aqueous leaf extract of Epilobium parviflorum (200 & 400 mg/kg) and pioglitazone (10 mg/kg) were administered orally once daily throughout the rest 3 w. Various serum parameters including lipid profile, liver profile, renal profile and inflammatory biomarkers were estimated on 0th and 6th w of the study. All the individual test results are falling within the normal distribution of the test groups (treatment with leaf extract) when compared with disease control group with least variance (p<0.01). However, when compared to the standard group (pioglitazone treated), the results show too much variance. Increase in insulin release and decreased fasting blood sugar results are purely dose dependant. The histopathological studies of hepatocyte, nephron, adipocytes and islet of pancreatic beta cells were also exhibited excellent antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic activity while the test group maintained normal cell architectures. With the assumption on the traditional curative assurance and scientific evidences, it may be concluded that Epilobium parviflorum contributes to the antihyperglycemic as well as antihyperlipidemic activity by maintaining the normal structure and function of hepatocytes, renal, pancreas and adipose function.