A STUDY OF ANTIDIABETIC AND HYPOLIPIDEMIC ACTIVITY OF ENICOSTEMMA LITTORALE, (BLUME) IN STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

The concerned study reveals the experimental investigation of the biological activity of Enicostemma littorale,(Blume) (Family: Gentianaceae) used as a traditional anti diabetic and hypolipidemic agent in traditional medicine. To study the effect of Enicostemma littorale in both normal and Streptozotocin induced diabetic rat, the ethyl acetate active fraction (EAAF) of E.littorale leaf extract at the dose of 200 mg kg body weight was administered orally once a day to the groups for 30 days. The fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and serum triglyceride content were estimated in both normal and Streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. The fasting blood glucose, cholesterol and serum triglyceride content were found to be significantly reduced (p<0.05) in treated rats whereas the extract also showed the potent elevation in the level of serum HDL-cholesterol. The study reveals that Enicostemma littorale has significant anti diabetic activity and a hypolipidemic activity in Streptozotocin induced and normal fasting rats.