STUDY OF ANTI-DIABETIC PROPERTIES IN THE BARK OF TERMINALIA ARJUNA USING ALLOXAN INDUCED MICE MODEL

The medicinal plant T.arjuna is a large evergreen tree with buttressed trunk. It is an important cardiotonic plant described in the ayurveda. Recently the antioxidant activities of the chloroform extract of T.arjuna in diabetic rats have been reported .Bark of Terminalia arjuna was shade dried and its ethanolic extract was prepared. Dosage was further defined 250, 500 and 600 mg/kg body weight of mice for Herbal extract and 10 mg/kg body weight for Metformin. The three parameters that measured were blood glucose, blood cholesterol, and blood triglycerides via kit method of Erba Diagnostics. Cholesterol was measured by modified Roeschlau's Method, Triglycerides was measured by method of Wako and the modifications by Gowan and Fosssati. The whole work was divided between the period of 30 days and readings were taken at the intervals of seven days. After diabetes was induced in mice, immediately herbal and allopathic treatment was started and after treatment of 7 days it is found that there is positive effect of treatment though mice are still diabetic when compared to control. There was progressive reduction in the level of glucose as the treatment moved step forward. Lastly when treatment is carried out for one month, diabetic status is cured and all mice have reached to normal level of blood cholesterol, glucose and triglyceride level.