Antihyperglycemic effect of umbelliferone in streptozotocin-diabetic rats

• Published in: Journal of medicinal food Vol. 9; no. 4; pp. 562 - 566
• Main Authors: Ramesh, B, Pugalendi, K.V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 2006
• Subjects: animal models; Animals; blood chemistry; blood glucose; Blood Glucose - analysis; Citrus aurantium; citrus fruits; coumarins; diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - drug therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - urine; dosage; dose response; enzyme activity; fructose-bisphosphatase; Fructose-Bisphosphatase - metabolism; glucokinase; Glucokinase - metabolism; glucose-6-phosphatase; Glucose-6-Phosphatase - metabolism; glucose-6-phosphate 1-dehydrogenase; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase - metabolism; Glyburide - administration & dosage; Glycated Hemoglobin A - analysis; glycemic effect; glycogen; Glycogen - analysis; Glycosuria - drug therapy; glycosylation; hemoglobin; Hemoglobins - analysis; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; insulin; Insulin - blood; Kidney - enzymology; Liver - chemistry; Liver - enzymology; Male; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; Rats; Rats, Wistar; umbelliferone; Umbelliferones - administration & dosage; Umbelliferones - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 1096-620X; 1557-7600
• DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2006.9.562

The present study was designed to investigate the antihyperglycemic effect of Umbelliferone (UMB) in normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in adult male albino rats of the Wistar strain, weighing 180-200 g, by administration of STZ (40 mg/kg of body weight) intraperitoneally. Diabetic rats showed an increase in levels of blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) and activities of gluconeogenic enzymes such as glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, and a decrease in levels of plasma insulin, hemoglobin (Hb), and liver glycogen and activities of glucokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Intraperitoneal administration of UMB (10, 20, and 30 mg/kg of body weight) and glibenclamide (600 micro g/kg of body weight) in 10% dimethyl sulfoxide dissolved in water, for 45 days, produced significantly decreased levels of blood glucose and HbA(1c) and activities of glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, while elevating levels of plasma insulin, Hb, and liver glycogen and activities of glucokinase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase to near normal levels in STZ-diabetic rats when compared with normal control rats. Normal rats treated with UMB (30 mg/kg of body weight) also showed a significant effect on glycemic control. Thus, our results show that UMB at 30 mg/kg of body weight possesses a promising antihyperglycemic effect that is comparable with glibenclamide.