ANTIHYPERGLYCAEMIC, ANTIHYPERLIPIDAEMIC AND ANTIHYPERTENSIVE EFFECT OF A POLYHERBAL FORMULATION IN ALLOXAN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Polyherbal formulation (POL-4) is popularly used by traditional practitioners to treat diabetes in district Badin, Sindh, Pakistan. This study validates the folk claim of POL-4 in diabetes and associated dysfunctions (hyperlipidaemia, endothelial dysfunction, hypertension) using OGTT and alloxan-challenged diabetic assays. Administration of POL-4 extract (300 mg/kg bw) markedly (p < 0.01) lowered blood glucose levels compared to only glucose loaded (2 g/kg bw) rats. In alloxan (135 mg/kg bw) fed rats, chronic (21 days) administration of POL-4 powder (3% and 6% w/w in diet) significantly (p < 0.001) prevented the rise in systolic blood pressure, heart rate, serum blood glucose and lipid parameters, while improved serum high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and endothelium-dependent aortic acetylcholine-mediated relaxation. POL-4 administration showed no signs of toxicity or lethality in mice at 1 - 5 g/ kg bw doses. These findings attest antihyperglycaemic, anti-hyperlipidaemic, endothelium modulatory and antihypertensive effects of POL-4, thus providing evidence to the folk use of POL-4 in diabetes and related complications.