The effect of medicinal plants of Islamabad and Murree region of Pakistan on insulin secretion from INS-1 cells

• Published in: Phytotherapy research Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 73 - 77
• Main Authors: Hussain, Zakir, Waheed, Abdul, Qureshi, Rizwana Aleem, Burdi, Dadu Khan, Verspohl, Eugen J., Khan, Naeema, Hasan, Mashooda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.01.2004; Wiley
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line - drug effects; Cell Line - metabolism; diabetes mellites; Diabetes Mellitus - prevention & control; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Flowers; Fruit; General pharmacology; Glyburide - administration & dosage; Glyburide - pharmacology; Glyburide - therapeutic use; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents - administration & dosage; Hypoglycemic Agents - pharmacology; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; INS-1 cells; Insulin - metabolism; Insulin Secretion; Insulinoma - pathology; insulinotropic activity; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; Medicine, Traditional; Pakistan; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Plant Components, Aerial; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Leaves; Plant Roots; Plants, Medicinal; Rats; Swine; Asia; Pakistan; Endocrinopathy; Caprifoliaceae; Pancreatic hormone; insulinotropic activity; INS-1 cells; Extract; Fistula; Glucose; Compositae; Viburnum; Medicinal plant; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Cassia; Taraxacum officinale; Euphorbiaceae; Glibenclamide; medicinal plants; Ethanol; Secretion; In vitro; Insulin; Artemisia; Euphorbia; Leguminosae; Labiatae; Sulfonylureas; Plant origin; Spermatophyta; diabetes mellites; Salvia; Centaurea
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.1372

In vitro testing of the extracts of medicinal plants collected from Islamabad and the Murree region on insulin secretagogue activity was carried out. Dried ethanol extracts of all plants (ZH1‐ZH19) were dissolved in ethanol and DMSO, and tested at various concentrations (between 1 and 40 µg/mL) for insulin release from INS‐1 cells in the presence of 5.5 mM glucose. Glibenclamide was used as a control. Promising insulin secretagogue activity in various plant extracts at 1, 10, 20 and 40 µg/mL was found, while in some cases a decrease in insulin secretion was also observed. Artemisia roxburghiana, Salvia coccinia and Monstera deliciosa showed insulin secretagogue activity at 1 µg/mL (p < 0.05) while Abies pindrow, Centaurea iberica and Euphorbia helioscopia were active at 10 µg/mL (p < 0.05). Extracts of Bauhinia variegata and Bergenia himalacia showed effects at 20 µg/mL (p < 0.05), and Taraxacum officinale and Viburnum foetens at 40 µg/mL (p < 0.05). Insulin secretagogue activity could not be detected in the extracts of Adhatoda vasica, Cassia fistula, Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, Morus alba, Plectranthus rugosus, Peganum harmala and Olea ferruginea. The results suggest that medicinal plants of Islamabad and the Murree region of Pakistan may be potential natural resources for antidiabetic compounds. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.