Antidiabetic effect of diasulin, a herbal drug, on blood glucose, plasma insulin and hepatic enzymes of glucose metabolism in hyperglycaemic rats

AIM: The present study was designed to investigate the effect of diasulin, a polyherbal drug, on blood glucose, plasma insulin and the activities of hepatic glucose metabolic enzymes in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. METHODS: Male Wistar rats, body weight of 180-200 g (12 normal and 30 diabetic rats), were used in this study. The rats were divided into seven groups after the induction of alloxan diabetes. In the experiment, six rats were used in each group. Group 1: normal rats given 2 ml of saline; group 2: normal rats given aqueous solution of diasulin (0.20 g/kg of body weight); group 3: diabetic control rats given 2 ml of saline; group 4: diabetic rats given aqueous solution of diasulin (0.05 g/kg of body weight); group 5: diabetic rats given aqueous solution of diasulin (0.10 g/kg of body weight); group 6: diabetic rats given aqueous solution of diasulin (0.20 g/kg of body weight) and group 7: diabetic rats given aqueous solution of glibenclamide (600 micro g/kg of body weight). The treatment was given for 30 days. After the treatment, fasting blood glucose, plasma insulin, urine sugar and the activities of hepatic glucose metabolic enzymes were determined in normal and experimental animals. RESULTS: Treatment with diasulin resulted in a significant reduction in blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin and an increase in plasma insulin and total haemoglobin and a significant improvement in glucose tolerance. Diasulin also resulted in a significant reduction in the activities of glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase in the liver, whereas the level of plasma insulin and hepatic hexokinase activity was significantly increased in alloxan diabetic rats. CONCLUSIONS: The present investigation suggests that diasulin, a polyherbal drug, controls the blood glucose level by increasing glycolysis and decreasing gluconeogenesis with a lower demand of pancreatic insulin than in untreated rats. This is possible, because it regulates the activities of hepatic glucose metabolic enzymes.