Hypoglycaemic Activity of Acalypha fruticosa Forssk Extracts in Normal Rabbits

Purpose: To investigate the hypoglycaemic activity of various extracts of the aerial part of Acalypha fruticosa in normal rabbits. Methods: The rabbits were randomly assigned to 8 groups (n = 3) and treated with a single oral dose. Group 1 served as normal control and received 2 % dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, 3 ml/kg); group 2 served as standard treatment and received metformin (300 mg/kg); groups 3 - 8 received different extracts of Acalypha fruticosa at a dose of (600 mg/kg) as follows: group 3, total methanol extract; group 4, Petroleum ether (PET) extract; group 5, chloroform extract; group 6, ethyl acetate extract; group 7, n-butanol extract; and group 8, aqueous extract. Serum glucose (fasting blood glucose, FBG) was determined using a diagnostic kit on a glucose analyzer. Results: A single dose of the aqueous extract of Acalypha fruticosa significantly lowered (p < 0.5) FBG at 1, 2, 4, and 6 h by 16, 29.5, 19.8, and 23.9 %, respectively, compared with normal control group, whereas standard treatment (metformin) did not affect FBG at all of these time-points measured. Furthermore, the aqueous extract (AEA) lowered FBG at 1, 2, 4, and 6 h by 24, 34.4, 25.9, and 17 %, respectively (p < 0.5), compared with metformin treatment. Chloroform extract also significantly lowered FBG at 1, 2, and 4 h by 17.3, 24.8, and 14.7 %, respectively, compared to metformin treatment (p < 0.5). Conclusion: The results of this study show that the aqueous extract of the aerial parts of Acalypha fruticosa possess potential hypoglycaemic activity but further studies are required to elucidate the exact mechanisms of action.