Antidiabetic effects of scoparic acid D isolated from Scoparia dulcis in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes

• Published in: Natural product research Vol. 23; no. 16; pp. 1528 - 1540
• Main Authors: Latha, Muniappan, Pari, Leelavinothan, Ramkumar, Kunga Mohan, Rajaguru, Palanisamy, Suresh, Thangaraj, Dhanabal, Thangavel, Sitasawad, Sandhya, Bhonde, Ramesh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.2009
• Subjects: Animals; Blood Glucose - drug effects; Cell Line, Tumor; diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - drug therapy; Diterpenes - chemistry; Diterpenes - pharmacology; Diterpenes - therapeutic use; Hypoglycemic Agents - chemistry; Hypoglycemic Agents - pharmacology; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Male; Molecular Structure; natural products; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Rats; Rats, Wistar; RINm5F cells; Scoparia - chemistry; Scoparia dulcis; scoparic acid D, insulin secretion
• ISSN: 1478-6419; 1478-6427
• DOI: 10.1080/14786410902726126

We evaluated the antihyperglycaemic effect of scoparic acid D (SAD), a diterpenoid isolated from the ethanol extract of Scoparia dulcis in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic male Wistar rats. SAD was administered orally at a dose of 10, 20 and 40 mg kg −1 bodyweight for 15 days. At the end of the experimental period, the SAD-treated STZ diabetic rats showed decreased levels of glucose as compared with diabetic control rats. The improvement in blood glucose levels of SAD-treated rats was associated with a significant increase in plasma insulin levels. SAD at a dose of 20 mg kg −1 bodyweight exhibited a significant effect when compared with other doses. Further, the effect of SAD was tested on STZ-treated rat insulinoma cell lines (RINm5F cells) and isolated islets in vitro. SAD at a dose of 20 µg mL −1 evoked two-fold stimulation of insulin secretion from isolated islets, indicating its insulin secretagogue activity. Further, SAD protected STZ-mediated cytotoxicity and nitric oxide (NO) production in RINm5F cells. The present study thus confirms the antihyperglycaemic effect of SAD and also demonstrated the consistently strong cytoprotective properties of SAD.