Ameliorative effect of Cassia auriculata L. leaf extract on glycemic control and atherogenic lipid status in alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits.

Oral administration of aqueous leaf extract of Cassia auriculata L. (100, 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg body wt daily for 21 days) to alloxan-induced mild diabetic (MD) and severe diabetic (SD) rabbits produced dose dependent fall in fasting blood glucose up to 400 mg/kg dose from day 3 to day 21. Further, a significant elevation in the levels of insulin and reduction in glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was observed in both MD and SD rabbits when treated with 400 mg/kg dose of the extract. The significant decrease in serum levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) with a concomitant increase in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) was exhibited by MD as well as SD rabbits following treatment with the extract. Atherogenic indices (TG/HDL-C, TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C) were also significantly reduced in both diabetic models of rabbits fed with the extract. Effect of the extract at 400 mg/kg dose was comparable to that of glibenclamide (600 microg/kg), a reference antidiabetic drug. Thus, the present study demonstrated that aqueous leaf extract of C. auriculata can be a possible candidate for antidiabetic drug.