Antihyperlipidaemic Effect of Gymnema montanum: A Study on Lipid Profile and Fatty Acid Composition in Experimental Diabetes

In the present study, the antihyperlipidaemic efficacy of ethanol extract of Gymnema montanum leaves was investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats and the effect was compared to standard hypoglycaemic drug, glibenclamide. Male adult albino Wistar rats were injected with freshly prepared solution of alloxan monohydrate (150 mg/kg body weight) to induce diabetes. After 2 weeks, the rats with moderate diabetes were administered G. montanum leaves (200 mg/kg body weight) for 21 days by gastric lavage, after which serum, liver and kidney samples were analysed for lipid profile, lipoprotein changes and fatty acid composition. While the alloxan-induced diabetic rats showed a significant increase in the levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and free fatty acids, the levels in the animals treated with G. montanum leaves were considerably reduced and restored to near normal values. Antihyperlipidaemic effects of G. montanum leaves were found to be comparable with that of glibenclamide. Similarly, G. montanum leaves treatment resulted in reversal of alterations observed in the plasma lipoproteins (high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and very high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol) and fatty acid composition in serum, liver and kidney of alloxan-induced rats. Our study suggests that phytochemicals present in G. montanum may play an important role in suppressing the elevated lipid profile in diabetes and may be useful for the prevention and/or early treatment of diabetes-associated hyperlipidaemia.