ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITY OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF CAMELLIA JAPONICA LEAVES AGAINST ALLOXAN INDUCED DIABETES IN RATS

Hypoglycaemic activity of the methanolic extract from Camellia japonica leaves were investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. After oral administration of the extract at two different doses (100 and 200mg/kg body weight) to alloxan-induced diabetic rats, the blood glucose, level was assayed. The blood glucose levels after a single oral administration of the methanolic extract significantly reduced in a time-dependent manner, which is much faster and more than that of glibenclamide. The blood glucose levels of alloxan-induced diabetic rats treated with the methanolic extract at the higher dose were reduced to 94, 81%, 66%, 45% and 40% at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 h, respectively (p < 0.05), while the lower dose had least effect. The results suggested that the glibenclamide revealed a mild hypoglycaemic effect, while the methanolic extract from Camellia japonica leaves at higher dose showed a significant hypoglycaemic effect in the alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Therefore, the mechanism of the methanolic extract is probably different from that of glibenclamide, which is an insulin-independent mechanism.