Abstract

Exacum bicolor Roxb., is popularly documented in folklore medicine for treatment of diabetes mellitus besides other ailments such as fever, inflammation, diseases related to skin and eyes. In this present investigation, diet induced obese mice were treated with aqueous extracts of in vitro propagated Exacum bicolor plantlets at three different concentrations of 1, 10, and 100 mg/ kg body-weight of mice/day respectively. Diet induced obese mice treated with Glibenclamide 2 mg/kg body-weight of mice/ day were used as a standard. The results displayed reduced blood glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol and free fatty acids in a dose dependent manner in the diet induced obese mice treated with aqueous extracts of in vitro propagated Exacum bicolor. The results were supported by the histopathological studies of the extracts showing their ability to restore the acini architecture and beta cell number in pancreatic tissues. Further, the study was extended comparing the pharmacological properties such as alpha amylase binding assay between the in vitro and native plant extracts of the Exacum bicolor. The in vivo and in vitro studies of the current research validated and confirmed enhanced antidiabetic properties of the aqueous extracts of in vitro propagated plantlets over the methanolic extracts from native Exacum bicolor plants, corroborating the in vitro propagation and their applications in drug development.