Diabetes is a global problem and many efforts are being done all over the
world searching for new drugs that can manage it more efficiently. The World
Health Organization recommended the natural products to be possible source for
antidiabetic compounds. Jatropha curcas plant was employed in Indian
traditional medicine for the treatment of several disorders. So, hexane, chloroform
and ethanolic extracts of the aerial part were subjected for evaluation of
their hypoglycemic and antidiabetic effects. Oral administration of ethanolic
extract at a dose of 400 mg/kg showed hypoglycemic and antidiabetic activities
in alloxan induced diabetic mice. Bioassay-guided fractionation used to isolate
the active fraction. Moreover, the drug was found to be safe up to dose of 5
g/kg. Further fractionation is recommended to find the active compound(s).
References
[1]
World Health Organization (1980) WHO Expert Committee on Diabetes Mellitus: Second Report. Tech. Rep. Ser., 1-80.
[2]
Funke, I. and Melzig, M.F. (2006) Traditionally Used Plants in Diabetes Therapy—Phytotherapeutics as Inhibitors of α-Amylase Activity. Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy, 16, 1-5.
[3]
Al-Humaid, M.S. (2008) Diabetes; Reasons, Complications and Therapy. King AbdulAziz City, Riyadh, 1-10.
[4]
Sharma, S., Dhamija, H.K. and Parashar, B. (2012) Jatropha curcas: A Review. Asian Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2, 107-111.
[5]
Dalziel, J.M. (1955) The Useful Plants of West-Tropical Africa. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administration, London, 147.
[6]
Laxane, S.N., Swarnkar, S., Mruthunjaya, K., Zanwar, S.B. and Setty, M.M. (2013) Jatropha curcas: A Systemic Review on Pharmacological, Phytochemical, Toxicological Profiles and Commercial Applications. Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences, 4, 989-1010.
[7]
Martinez-Herrera, J., Siddhuraju, P., Francis, G., Davila-Ortiz, G. and Becker, K. (2006) Chemical Composition, Toxic/Antimetabolic Constituents, and Effects of Different Treatments on Their Levels, in Four Provenances of Jatropha curcas L. from Mexico. Food Chemistry, 96, 80-89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.01.059
[8]
Oskoueian, E., Abdullah, N., Saad, W.Z., Omar, A., Ahmad, S., Kuan, W.B., Zolkifli, N.A., Hendra, R. and Ho, Y.W. (2011) Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Anticancer Activities of Methanolic Extracts from Jatropha curcas Linn. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 5, 49-57.
[9]
El Tahir, K. (2007) A Guide to Drug Discovery: Directions for Pharmacological Screening for New Synthetic and Natural Compounds Leading to Discovery of New Medicines. Same Author, Riyadh, 100-105.
[10]
Daniel, W.W. (1995) Biostatistics: A Foudation for Analysis in the Health Science. 6th Edition, Wiley, New York, 273-303.
[11]
Mishra, S.B., Vijayakumar, M., Ojha, S.K. and Verma, A. (2010) Antidiabetic Effect of Jatropha curcas L. Leaves Extract in Normal and Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sceinces, 2, 482-487.
