Antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic effcets of the ethanolic extract of alocasia indica rhizomes in high fat diet/streptozotocin and streptozotocin/nicotinamide-induced type 2 diabetic rats

Objective: The investigate the antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic effect of ethanolic extract of Alocasia indica (EEAI) rhizomes in high-fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ) and STZ/nicotinamide-induced Type 2 diabetic rats. Methods: Diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats by the administration of a HFD for 15 days/STZ (35 mg/kg b.w., i.p.) and STZ (60 mg/kg b.w., i.p.)/nicotinamide (110 mg/kg b.w., i.p.). EEAI (100 and 200 mg/kg b.w., p.o.) was administered to diabetic rats for 28 days in HFD/STZ-induced Type 2 diabetic rats and for 15 days in STZ/nicotinamide-induced Type 2 diabetic rats. The effect of EEAI on blood glucose and body weight was studied in Type 2 diabetic rats. All these effects were compared with glibenclamide (5 mg/kg b.w., p.o.) as a reference antidiabetic drug. Results: The administration of the EEAI (100 and 200 mg/kg b.w., p.o.) resulted in a significant decrease in blood glucose level and significant increase in body weight in the HFD/STZ and STZ/nicotinamide-induced Type 2 diabetic rats. Further EEAI showed antihyperlipidemic activity as evidenced by significant decrease in serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very LDL-C levels coupled together with elevation of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level in diabetic rats in the HFD/STZ and STZ/nicotinamide-induced Type 2 diabetic rats. Conclusion: The results suggest that the EEAI rhizomes possess a promising effect on the HFD/STZ and STZ/nicotinamide-induced Type 2 diabetes.