International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ISSN- 0975-1491

Vol 2, Suppl 4, 2010

ResearchArticle

STUDYOFANTIHYPERGLYCEMICEFFECTOFCATHARANTHUSROSEUSINALLOXAN
INDUCEDDIABETICRATS

M.JAYANTHI1,N.SOWBALA1,G.RAJALAKSHMI1,U.KANAGAVALLI1ANDV.SIVAKUMAR2*
P.GandResearchDepartmentofBiochemistry,AdhiparasakthiCollegeofArtsandScience,Kalavai,VelloreDistrict632506,Tamilnadu,
India,2DepartmentofPharmacy,SriLakshmiNarasimhaCollegeofPharmacy,Palluru517132,AndhraPradesh,India
Email:sivakumarv2k1@gmail.com
Received:22Jun2010,RevisedandAccepted:23July2010
ABSTRACT
Thepresentworkwascarryouttostudytheeffectofdailyoraladministrationof Catharanthusroseus(CR)leafdichloromethane:methanol(1:1)
extracts (500 mg/ body weight) for 20 days on blood glucose and hepatic enzymes in normal and Alloxan induced diabetic rats. A significant
(P<0.05) increased body weight and decreased blood glucose, urea, cholesterol levels of the test animals shows that the extract exhibited anti
hyperglycemic activity and increased in protein and glycogen (P<0.01) where observed in diabetic rats treatment with Catharanthus roseus leaf
dichloromethane methanol extract when compared to diabetic rats. The activity of the hepatic enzymes such as hexokinase was significantly
(P<0.01) increased and glucose 6phosphatase and fructose 1, 6 bisphosphatase were significantly (P<0.05) decreased by the administration of
Catharanthusroseusleafindiabeticratswhencomparedtonormalrats.
Keywords:Catharanthusroseus,Alloxan,Diabetesmellitus,Hepaticenzymes

INTRODUCTION
Diabetes mellitus is one of the commonest chronic illnesses to
human beings. It is characterized by deleterious hyperglycemia is
one of the leading disease in the world1. The world health
organization (WHO 1999) estimates that by the year 2030, the
number of people with diabetes will have reached 370 million2.
Thereisahighleveloftreatmentfailuresandunpleasantsideeffects
associated with oral anti diabetic drugs generating an urgent need
and desire for alternative treatment by the use of plant based
productsarebecomingpopularinthetreatmentandmanagementof
diabetes3.
Catharanthus roseus (Vinca rosea) a traditionally used medicinal
plant,belongstothefamilyApocynaceae,isanerectedprocumbent
herborundershrubcontaininglatex.Itiswidelygrowingto1mtall
at subtropicalarea.The leavesare oval tooblong,2.5 9.0cm long
and1.03.5cmbroad,glossygreen,hairless,withapalemidriband
ashortpetiole1.01.8cmlong;theyarearrangedinoppositepairs.
Theflowersarewhitetodarkpinkwithadarkerredcentre,witha
basaltube2.53.0cmlongandacorolla2.05.0cmdiameterwith
fivepetalslikelobes.Thefruitsareapairoffollicles2.04.0cmlong
and 3 mm broad4. This plant have possesses known antibacterial,
antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, anticancer and antiviral
activates5.Theaimofthepresent studyisanattempttoassessthe
antihyperglycemic activity of dichloromethane: methanol extract
(1:1)ofCatharanthusroseusinnormalandAlloxaninduceddiabetic
rats.
MATERIALSANDMETHODS
Plantmaterials
Catharanthus roseus plant leaf was collected from Adhiparasakthi
Agricultural College Medicinal Park in Kalavai. The plant was
identifiedattheHerbariumofBotanyDirectorateinAdhiparasakthi
AgriculturalCollege.Avoucherspecimen(No:Cr09)wasdeposited
in the Botany Department of Adhiparasakthi Agricultural College,
Kalavai,Tamilnadu,India.
Animals
Healthy adult cross breed male Wistar albino rats (weighing 150
220g) were used throughout the experiment. Animals were
maintainedat2220oCwith4555%relativehumidity,12hours
light and dark cycle. They were housed in wellventilated

polyurethanecagesandhadfreeaccesstotapwaterandlaboratory
pelletfeed.
Preparationofplantextract
Dried leaf powder of Catharanthus roseus was allowed to pass
through ss sieve (20 meshes) and then extracted in soxhlet
extractionapparatuswithdichloromethane:methanolextract(1:1).
The solvent was removed under vacuum to get solid mass. The
extracteddrypowderwasdissolvedinphysiologicalsalinesolution
and given orally to diabetic group and normal group rats at a
concentrationof 500mgperKg ofbodyweight oncedaily up to20
days.
Experimentalinductionofdiabeticmellitus
The experimental animal in this model is the male, adult Wistar
albino rats, weighing 150220g. After a 48hour fast, the rats
wereweighedandasolutionof2%alloxandilutedinsaline(0.9%)
corresponding to 80 mg of alloxan per kg of body weight was
administered intraperitoneally in a single dose. Food and water
weregiventotheratsafter30minutesofdrugadministration6,7.
Experimentaldesigns
In the experiment a total of 24 rats (12 diabetic surviving rats, 12
normalrats)wereused.Afteronemonth,theratsweredividedinto
fourgroupseachgroupconsistingofsixrats.
GroupINormalrats.
Group II Normal rats were given CR dichloromethane methanol
extract500mg/Kgbodyweightdailyupto20days.
GroupIIIDiabeticrats.
Group IV Diabetic rats were given CR dichloromethane methanol
extract500mg/Kgbodyweightdailyupto20days.
Samplecollection
Attheendof20thdaystheanimalsweredeprivedoffoodovernight
andsacrificedbydecapitation.Fastingbloodsamplewascollectedin
fresh vials containing sodium fluoride and potassium oxalate
(anticoagulant agent) for the estimation of blood glucose, blood
urea,cholesterol,andbloodserumwaspreparedfortheestimation
of protein. Liver is dissected out and washed in icecold saline
immediately.

Sivakumaretal.
IntJPharmPharmSci,Vol2,Suppl4,114116
Evaluationofeffectonbiochemicalvariables

RESULTSANDDISCUSSION

Fasting blood glucose , protein urea and cholesterol were

estimated. The liver supernatant was extracted and used for the
estimationofliverglycogen12andassayofHexokinase 13 ,Fructose
1,6bisphosphatase14,Glucose6phosphatase15.
8

10

Thepresentstudywasconductedtoevaluatetheantihyperglycemic
activityofCatharanthusroseusplantleafdichloromethanemethanol
extractinalloxaninduceddiabetesrats.

11

Diabetic rats treated with crudedichloromethane methanolextract

at oral dose of 500 mg/kg for 20 days Table 1 shows exhibited
significant reduction in blood glucose in comparison to untreated
diabetic rats. Blood glucose levels of diabetic and treated animals
wear241.622.3,and110.088.6mg/dlrespectively(P<0.05).

Statisticalanalysis
StatisticaltreatmentappliedisANOVAundertwowayclassification,
changes were considered significant if the PValue was <0.01 and
<0.05.ThevaluesareexpressedasmeanSD.

Table1:Levelsofbloodglucose,bloodurea,cholesterolandproteininnormal,Catharanthusroseustreatedcontrol,diabeticand
Catharanthusroseustreateddiabeticrats
Groups
Normal
Catharanthusroseus
treatedcontrol
Diabetes
Catharanthusroseus
treateddiabetes

Bloodglucose(mg/dl)
79.185.2*
74.125.6*

Bloodurea(mg/dl)
25.91.9*
24.62.9*

Cholesterol(mg/dl)
90.63.3*
98.26.9*

Protein(g/dl)
7.530.1**
8.020.3**

241.622.3*
110.088.6*

63.50.5*
38.43.8*

186.88.0*
134.81.4*

6.700.5**
7.20.3**

ValuesareexpressedasmeanSDforsixanimalsineachgroup.*Levelofsignificancep<0.05,**Levelofsignificancep<0.01
The level of total protein, decreased significantly in diabetic rats
because of the insufficient of insulin leads to increased protein
degradationanddecreasedproteinsynthesisandthelevelrestored
after 20 days treatment of Catharanthus roseus plant leaf. The
elevated level of blood urea, and cholesterol observed in diabetic
rats is found to be corrected to near normal (P<0.05) in the
dichloromethane methanol Catharanthus roseus plant leaf extract
treatment.Table2showsthelevelofliverglycogenandanimalbody

weight.Indiabeticgroupanimalssharpdeclineinbodyweight16and
liver glycogen level was compared to normal groups 17, after
treatment of Catharanthus roseus plant leaf improved in the body
weight and stored glycogen level. The restored liver glycogen level
may be considered as the best marker for assessing
antihyperglycemic activityof Catharanthusroseus plant leafextract
treatment.

Table2:LevelsofBodyweightandLiverglycogeninnormal,Catharanthusroseustreatedcontrol,diabeticandCatharanthusroseustreated
diabeticrats.
Groups
Normal
Catharanthusroseustreatedcontrol
Diabetes
Catharanthusroseustreateddiabetes

Bodyweight(g)
Initial(g)
182.0314.1
187.0710.6
189.0603.2
194.0304.3

Glycogen(mg/gwettissue)
Final(g)
201.54.2
219.64.5
152.36.2
205.44.6

44.82.4**
52.22.3**
22.50.6**
42.22.3**

ValuesareexpressedasmeanSDforsixanimalsineachgroup.*Levelofsignificancep<0.05**Levelofsignificancep<0.01
Thechangesintheactivitiesofhepaticenzymehexokinase,glucose
6phosphataseandfructose1,6bisphosphataseofnormal,control,
diabeticandtreatmentgroupsareshowsintable3.Inexperimental
diabetic rats, enzymes of glucose metabolism are markedly altered
leads to pathogenesis of diabetic complications. The activity of
hexokinase enzyme decreased in the alloxan induced diabetic rats.
Catharanthus roseus dichloromethane methanol extract
administration to alloxan induced rats resulted in an increased
activity(P<0.01)ofliverhexokinase,theincreased activitytoleads

increased glycolysis and utilization of glucose for enzyme

production18.
The activity of the glucose 6phosphatase and fructose 1, 6
bisphosphatasewerefoundtobeincreasedindiabeticrats19 ,(table
3) in the present study glucose 6phosphatase and fructose 1, 6
bisphosphatase activity was brought to near normal (P< 0.05) on
treatment with Catharanthus roseus dichloromethane methanol
extractat500mg/bodyweightfor20days.

Table3:Activitiesofhexokinase,fructose1,6bisphosphatase,glucose6phosphataseinliverofnormal,Catharanthusroseustreated
control,diabeticandCatharanthusroseustreateddiabeticrats.
Groups
Hexokinasea
Normal
187.27.5*
Catharanthusroseustreatedcontrol
184.67.6*
Diabetes
130.31.5*
Catharanthusroseustreateddiabetes
171.18.4**
ValuesareexpressedasmeanSDforsixanimalsineachgroup.

Fructose1,6bisphosphataseb
489.24.6*
479.95.5*
770.17.5*
553.81.0*

Glucose6phosphataseb
1043.29.6*
990.261.3*
1260.582.7*
1163.626.4*

*Level of significance p < 0.05, **Level of significance p < 0.01 a. moles of glucose 6 phosphate formed/h/mg protein, b. n moles of
phosphorousliberated/h/mgprotein.
CONCLUSION

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methanol extract was found to exhibit a significant anti
hyperglycemic activityinalloxaninduced diabeticrats.The further
works was to isolate the active principal phytoconstituents and
assessthebioactivityoftheCatharanthusroseusplantextract.

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